Until the End of Time
by FantasyDreamer12
Summary: After a devastating apocalypse and a terrible fallout, Phineas is struggling to survive in the ruins of New York after a vacation gone wrong. His relationship with his brother is deteriorating and his best friend Isabella is blind. However, after a shocking discovery, Phineas puts everything on the line to save his friends and find his parents lost in the sea of time.
1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

Hi guys! There was been a lot less updates from me recently, and this is why. This is the story I've talked about and one I have worked on all year. It's a project I had to do for school.

That being said, this story will look different from the others I have written because the plot is much more complex and the characters are different. Because the characters in this story were originally OC's, the characters might seem a bit OOC. Nevertheless, the characters do share some similarities. I hope you enjoy! This story is written from Phineas' point of view.

* * *

It all began with an Earth-shattering bang that cracked the crust of the Earth. Fire and clouds of black ash shot up and extended far into the atmosphere. The first big volcano emerged dramatically and shifted the South Pacific continental plates. The Earth's crust easily opened like a giant zipper to allow magma to gush out. A chain reaction of numerous new volcanic underwater islands formed and more ash spewed into the atmosphere at an exponential rate. For days on end, life remaining endured what seemed to be expanding unending darkness. For months' massive black clouds of ash thickened to increasingly block the precious sun rays. Shrouded by this thick layer of smoke, the Earth's temperature dropped and the world was seemingly racing towards a new semi ice age. Vulnerable plants and animals started to weaken and die under the harsh new climate. Human survivors barely could pick up their own broken pieces; much less put the world back together again.

Crops failed all over the world as farm fields froze. As the crisis reached its peak, the next stage brought forth toxic rain that tainted the Earth. As famine became the norm, a ripple of desperation spread across the globe. Massive protests demanding salvation echoed around the world to disintegrate any semblance of order. People fiercely fought over the meagre remains. The war stage continued to rage on even as some of the ashes settled. There was no clear winner as ironically more people ended up dying from the fighting than directly from the initial drastic climate change. As the world adapted, the clashes eased off after the first few years and those still alive focussed purely on survival. Culture, progress, and refinement were replaced by savagery in a world full of paralyzing fear and the ubiquitous stench of death. Political boundaries no longer existed with the exception of some independent armed factions that sought to enslave whoever they found in their established territories. Everyone and everything that survived barely subsisted.


	2. Chapter I: The Aftermath

**Author's Note:**

Since I've already finished the entire story, I just have to upload all of the chapters. Hopefully I can get half of the chapters up today. The chapters are short right now, but they will get longer as the story progresses.

* * *

Skittishly, my gaze wandered across the devastated cityscape. Iron giants that once dominated the sky were awkwardly bent like broken boughs in strange uniform surrender. Forgotten and lifeless described the rest except for the occasional high pitched whistle of wind that passed through. Existence was only slightly recognizable to me.

The empty ache that filled my being arose from the fading spontaneous laughter that rang silently through my head. Fond memories long lost in the sea of time were just cruel longings that filled me with pain. Cinnamon-laced hot chocolate on cold Christmas nights and days of togetherness and joy were just fleeting and fading memories. I tried unsuccessfully to be an empty shell void of feeling in order to cope with the pain. My twenty-three year old body was crumbling along with my soul as I tried to survive in this new reality. Inside of me, all that was left is a poor lost child in a prematurely withered young man's body. I was forsaken to forever wander these silent streets hoping to find a small morsel of sustenance. No safe place to call home. No family except for my younger brother who outwardly loathed me and for whom I could never atone for my single act of irresponsibility. All I had left was my escape to wasted fantasies wishing for a verisimilitude beyond my insurmountable dreams.

Heart pounding, I cautiously threaded my way through the false calmness of blackened streets. Scampering past abandoned cars haphazardly lining the road, I craned my neck looking for anything valuable that might have been left behind. Frantically, Isabella's grip on my arm slipped as she tripped on a rock and landed hard. My skin jumped. Too much noise! Her face full of apology and disquietude pierced the dark. My eyebrows instantly furrowed, but one corner of my lips turned up in a slight smirk. I could never have shown the slightest umbrage towards my closest childhood friend. Through all my failings, she remained supportive. I often asked her why she remained so devoted to me. Her answer frequently echoed through my brain.

She always replied the same, "You have a good heart Phineas."

I have never understood the strength of her attachment to me, but she ended up being the anchor through rough patches in my life. She had been dealt a hard hand by life's dealer. During the wars she had been caught outside when a gas bomb landed nearby. The deadly chemicals did not kill her, but it robbed her of most of her sight. She could only see shadows; a problem made worse in our dim surroundings. As a result, she had become almost a permanent fixture holding onto my arm whenever we ventured outside the shelter we now called home. Isabella was the only one with whom I have shared any semblance of vulnerability. Sometimes I shared feelings with her that surprised even me. She had that special way of making me feel accepted which I have always longed for since the first time my life irrevocably changed at the age of nine. Bizarre as it may seem, I have struggled more with the consequences of that single childhood event then trying to survive in the last eight and a half years on our dying earth.


	3. Chapter II: Failed Preparation

To be precise, the length of the Devastation has run 1241 days already, according to my brother Ferb. Daily, he obsessively marked a tattered calendar from that fateful day in 1972 when our lives changed. It was one of the few things he deemed important enough to salvage from our home after the tremors came. He said looking at the idyllic pictures of beautiful green landscapes helped soothe his sleep. Some of our old neighbourhood had blown up from gas leaks when pipes ruptured after the tremors hit. Our house was untouched, however; sinkholes that developed around the neighbourhood had made the supporting terrain unstable. It was too dangerous to stay there anymore.

I recalled that my brother's childhood days, from the age of four to seven, were spent in various surgeries and rehabilitation. Trying to learn how to walk again gave him ample time to read. Even then, Ferb was more intelligent and advanced than most. Unfortunately for him, he seemed so easily bored with the rest of us and found it hard to connect with people his own age. Our parents seemed to fervently relish and encouraged his idiosyncratic interests. One peculiar strange interest led him to be an ardent unofficial pundit on the Cold War that preceded the changes of the Devastation. My parents were sure that the Cold War was coming to an end as negotiations had started between President Nixon and Soviet Chairman Leonid Brezhnev in 1971. With the repeated threats and rhetoric coming from U.S.S.R., we frequently practiced safety drills at school in preparation for a nuclear attack. The thought of mutants arising from the radiation was what caused fear in me the most back then. I used to always expect a deformed being to appear around the next corner. This was from the movies I watched growing up depicting the times after a nuclear war. They were all wrong. In reality, just death, darkness, and hunger mostly abounded.

I don't think we'll ever know what exactly happened to cause the Devastation. Ferb heard a brief short wave radio transmission that indicated that it was a massive volcanic explosion that set off the chain of events that blackened the Earth. It was nowhere near the Soviet Union or America and probably not even connected to the Cold War that we all had feared. Even my brilliant brother couldn't make sense of this supposedly natural disaster which rapidly spread around the Earth.

Those that could afford it or were paranoid enough built bomb shelters underground in their backyard. My parents had the foresight to do so and that is what saved my life along with Isabella and Ferb. By chance, we were all there checking the expiry dates of the food and replenishing the stocks. There were enough supplies there to last for a few weeks. We mostly stayed underground for the first few weeks while often clinging to each other while explosions happened above us. We hardly got any sleep as we took shifts to watch the entrance. If I were to do it again, we would have eaten more sparingly in the beginning. We had become much wiser now.


	4. Chapter III: Salvaging

**Author's Note:**

Alright I'll keep the author's notes short so I can upload quickly.

Read and Review!

Linebreak

As Isabella and I stumbled on in our so far fruitless search, we passed a Mercedes. The car, once held as high society's status model in its heyday, lay abandoned. Its tires were flattened and the once shiny chrome grill pathetically rusty, flaked, and discolored. The Devastation had ironically equalized any social strata that previously existed. I approached the Mercedes warily with Isabella gripping my left arm to guide her. Although the area was desolate, I still had to keep a keen eye out for any roving bands of ruthless marauders. Very few people wandered by here, with the exception of those looking to loot. No one wise strayed this far away from the Confines into the Deadzone. Rogue gangs had staked more and more territory within the Confines and this resulted in us having to venture further out to look for supplies to trade.

As quietly as I could, I approached the door and was relieved to see its windows smashed. I certainly didn't want to attract any unwanted attention from those who lurked in the shadows. Reaching in past the shards of glass, I slowly opened the door with a soft click. Methodically, I popped the hood to see if there was anything worth salvaging. My luck, the valuable engine was still bolted in. Lacking the proper tools and means to transport this heavy commodity, my heart sank as it would have to be left behind. _Next time._ Scanning around, I tried to remember the car's precise location. Unbelievably, the battery was still attached under the debris that I cleared. _This I could take!_ It would not be easy because it was one big block of heavy lead in my weakened state. I grinned sardonically and mumbled to myself, "But life is never easy, is it?"

"What was that Phineas?" whispered Isabella.

Elated at this find, I had almost forgotten she was there. I quickly replied, "Let's get this battery back to our base. Help me with it, it's pretty heavy." I positioned her hands on the corner straps for her before we both heaved. I don't know if there was any battery life remaining in it, but for a cost I knew some traders who could juice it back up for me to use as power. My famished stomach prodded me that perhaps I could barter some food from them for this. If there was any remote chance that something would be useful to me, I have taken it. _What were the old school lessons about basic needs?_ How naive they were. They never taught us how to decide between shelter, warmth, or food. I tried to not judge myself or others too harshly in our thievery given these circumstances, but I definitely don't identify with the marauders. Unlike them, I don't taunt and harm others for game. If this new world wasn't horrendous enough, they acted without an iota of human decency.

Isabella helped me toss the dead weight into my worn brown leather satchel and we continued on. The bag was a special present from my parents after I won a writing award at the age of fourteen. I always carried the satchel with me. When I toted it around, I could feel my parents' presence and their unrelenting confidence in me. Now when my brother and I needed them the most, they were nowhere to be found.

After our parents disappeared, we decided to lie in wait here while others migrated to warmer temperature zones in hopes that our parents will somehow return to us. We were helpless to find them because we had no idea where to search for them even if we wanted to. When we saw them last before the Devastation started, Dad surprised Mom with a sudden well deserved holiday. It was unusual for them to be so spontaneous and not to let us know their destination. It was supposed to have been only a week. I kept replaying my last interaction with them. They did seem to cling a bit longer than usual with their goodbyes to us and made us promise to be there for each other with a wink. They knew that my brother was a handful for me to bear sometimes. As an older brother, I was always put in charge of him and he resented my weak authority as he grew older. We were five years apart and sometimes it seemed like twenty. There was a good reason for his loathing...


	5. Chapter IV: Painful Return

Isabella tapped my shoulder bringing me back from my thoughts. A bend in the road called for my attention. Isabella slowed me down, but at least she was with me and I could try to keep her safe. We plodded our way back to our base that we distastefully call the Hole. Nevertheless, it is our home now.

I bowed my head in fatigue while my eyes traced the cracks in the road. I passed time by counting every skewed rock for lack of anything better to do. They called me the dreamer. What they didn't know was that my thoughts would drift to darkness and pain if I didn't keep my brain and body busy. Isabella and I couldn't talk safely until we reached our shelter where my sick brother Ferb was waiting. My life was a monotonous soldier's routine: get up, scavenge for food, unclog the fountains for water, and wander the streets for supplies.

A whip of bitter wind blew past and sent a cold chill through my body. It reminded me to pull my hood tightly over my cap. It could be that I am so lean now and have no fat reserves to insulate myself that I lost heat so easily. Well, I did want to be lean at one point in my life to run faster. Certainly, I didn't mean to this extent. As frigid as it was, worse yet was the tightening knot in my stomach as it had yearned for food all day.

We travelled down by the river through the Confines and pass the defunct Bronx Zoo. Previously full of life, it now only held ghostly memories. On and off there was a waft of putrid smell from the foul decay. The once majestic beasts and entertaining mammals were long gone. Some escaped their captivity when their cages and fences were knocked down by the Tremors. Most were eventually killed by the same problems that very nearly caused all life on Earth to go extinct. The water in the seal exhibit seemed permanently frozen. Through the Plexiglas walls that survived, two of the once lively and playful animals were unnervingly petrified in motion within the foggy cracked ice. What would have been normally a cute sight of nature was now pure frustration. Despite my repeated attempts, it was impossible to reach such a perfectly good source of protein through the thick ice. Who knew that thick ice could be as hard as concrete without the right tools?

As I turned down a familiar street, I recognized several of the houses through the rubble. Down the street, the houses sat like empty husks: uninhabited and lifeless. Their owners were long gone whether stricken by the cold, ravaged by disease, died fighting for resources, or simply abandoning their claim for warmer regions. An ominous lull blanketed the street. I tried to recall the days when I had a normal life where my only task was to study. Food was available in the cafeteria. How I used to complain up and down about the taste of the food. How I would give anything for some of it now. I was not burdened then as I am now by a constant need to survive. The memories only made my heart ache with longing for how it used to be.

 _Push it away and don't be so weak_ , I told myself. That was a familiar harsh diatribe that I said to myself.

Many years ago and it seemed a different lifetime away; this was the place that had been my home. Now it was just an upsetting reminder of what things could have been. My parents were long gone, but I was often drawn automatically here to scavenge for supplies. I looked for anything to help me live another day even though I knew there is little of worth left. Normally, I came here alone because the land was unstable. That day, however; Isabella was with me because without thinking I had mindlessly ended here.

"Are we where I think we are?" asked Isabella eyes wide open with a curious lilt to her voice.

She couldn't help her exclamation. I wasn't sure how she knew. Luckily, it was safer to talk now. We sat on a broken piece of lifted concrete to rest our weary feet. Nothing was soft anymore in this new world. I placed my treasured satchel down close to me, but instinctively hung onto the strap. During the journey to forage, the heavy battery felt like it had dug a divot in my shoulders so I rolled them around. I rubbed my hands trying to revive the heat in them.

"What do you mean? Where do you think we are now?" I replied nonchalantly while beaming secretly inside.

"Are we back at your house?"

"Yes, I came to find you a dress for you to dance with me later this evening at the ball."

"You're always teasing me; I didn't know you and Ferb started to wear dresses!" Isabella said playfully in a witty retort.

She could always make me smile. As usual, we continued to easily banter back and forth. My friends said we would make an old couple blush with how comfortable we were with each other. They badgered me to date her, but I couldn't because she was like a sister to me. Although I must admit that she had become a more attractive young lady as she matured, even under the dust covered clothes and sweaty dirt smeared face. Still I couldn't be with anyone let alone Isabella; even before the Devastation. Besides, she was so lovely both inside and out and deserved to be with someone who wasn't fighting his own internal demons.

Since my youth, I had been driven by an unending urge to explore and travel. Sometimes I fantasized that I was free to be reckless and throw caution to the wind, but in real life I was never able to because of my brother's situation. My reputation was to be the "good guy" and my parents came to expect such. After I graduated, I had intended to travel the world for a year on my own unencumbered by responsibilities. By then, Ferb was going to be old enough and more independent. I wanted for once to be selfish and to go on my own journey. This survivalist journey; however, was definitely not the adventure I had imagined.

"You've come back to your old house again haven't you?" Isabella enquired again.

"Yes, so what?" I pretended to be annoyed to dismiss her.

"Each time you return, your spirits dim after for a while." She suddenly got serious. "Why do you keep coming back here? What do you keep searching for?"

"I want to see if there is anything else useful we can salvage from here," I lied, hoping to throw her off the psychological detective work she did so well. She knew me better than any other person. For just a moment, I even believed myself.

She cocked her head and said in a slow drawl. "Are you sure that is why you keep coming back to here?" She hesitated before saying, "I think you come here for ... I think you are still looking for answers about where your parents are."

"I think your imagination and Freud are getting the better of you." I retorted back with false bravado. She was only partially right.

She looked hurt when I rebuffed her. I knew she was only trying to help me, but I couldn't do it. Just not today. I wanted this one moment without my hurt and heart intruding.

 _How do you find something missing in you that is nameless?_ This unyielding search for something began in childhood and has continued to haunt me and be accentuated every day of my dire new life. I conceded that having my parents missing or dead from the Devastation made it all worse. I could only hang on to the myth that my parents somehow survived in order for me to carry on. I have had so many losses in the wake of the new dark world, but ever since "the incident"; the sense of being satisfied with my existence and finding meaning in my life has been elusive. I think I have coped with my nameless foe by seeking change, adventure, and exploration. It was one of the few important parts of my past that I have retained. Good and bad parts were attached to this. Although there were moments of immense relief for me, often that feeling lasted for just a flash. Like the best tragic story, it was replaced quickly by despair. The only time I felt free of the guilt of my childhood was when I was on the lookout for a new adventure. Growing up, I often felt like a balloon wanting to ride the winds that was restrained by my invisible tie to my family. That was why now; I was the one who will risk going to the Deadzone and beyond the reaches of the Confines. It was my rebellion in the guise of being altruistic and displaying relentless actions to provide for my brother and Isabella.

My life was now the one I always feared. _Routine. Uggh!_ Everything that I yearned for and delighted as future possibilities was lost in the horror of the stages of the Devastation. Isabella was right, unless I saw my parents again; I would never be at peace. I needed their guidance and longed to belong in a family again. Most of all, I needed their forgiveness in order to forgive myself. I feared they were dead, but I kept coming back to check for them. I even dreamt that they sent word that they would be back here soon. _Foolish!_


	6. Chapter V: Unexpected

I vaulted over the front gate like I have done a hundred times as a kid. This time though, I wasn't that smooth. I landed with a thud and then took a four-step stumble before I crashed hard against the stony ground. Both Isabella and I chuckled at my failure to be spry and suave as the French might say.

We entered the house to collect the few remaining scraps of paper from my parent's home office and made our way to the upstairs living room where there was a wood fireplace. Using my trusty flint that I always carried with me, I quickly started a small fire and added a couple of pieces of broken chair legs to give us much needed heat. As Isabella and I sat in front of the fire and tried to absorb as much warmth as we could with our hands outstretched, I mulled over what she had said earlier. Was she right? Was there more to returning here than just scavenging supplies?

Not wanting to dwell on it too much, I decided to track through the house ensuring that everything was in its proper place. I carefully checked that no object was disturbed and that everything was the way I had left it on my last visit. I don't know why I needed to do this, but I did. I guess this was one of my routines that I actually chose to do willingly.

I gently replaced the ancient grandfather's clock upon the mantle. Just at that moment, I heard a soft creak and immediately froze. Except for the crackling fire, I was attuned to the general quiet of the house. Isabella rushed to my side from the other side of the room. Her sense of hearing was even more acutely aware than mine since she lost her sight. She also wasn't as distracted by her thoughts as I was. I couldn't explain, but I could feel a foreign presence in the house. Something was definitely not right. I unconsciously held my breath as I heard someone thudding around around downstairs. I could feel her whole body shaking. Isabella would be the one who would be kidnapped and enslaved by the gangs. Isabella knew what her horrible fate would be if she was captured and she had even made me swear over and over again to kill her first. I had hoped I would never have to face this. She should know that I would die trying to let her escape. For all that she thought I was a good person, she had a much better heart than me and deserved to live over me.

Together with her hand firmly in my grip, I guided her down the corridor. We stealthily avoided any glass or pieces of paper that would give us away. When we arrived at the rickety stairwell, I lay us down on our bellies. Without betraying any evidence of noise, I signalled her to stay still and then army-crawled my way to the railing. Gripping the black posts in nervous anticipation I peered down apprehensively at the front door. Sure enough, there were three intruders congregated at the door. They wore face paint and all of them carried large holstered guns. They stood for a moment like lifeless statues. Their blank stares made them appear cold and unfeeling. Their presence in my house sent strong shivers down my spine while enraging me at the same time. Subconsciously, I tightened my grip on Isabella's hand till she slightly squealed. We were both terrified. I wasn't a hero and I started to just operate on impulse.

The first marauder held a lamp in the air which flooded light over the dark forgotten hallways and rooms. Instinctively, I slid back into the shadows away from the light and flattened Isabella against the dilapidated wall. The three monsters laughed and told each other jokes as they strode down the hall. Their brown hiking boot heels clicked forebodingly on the creaky hardwood floor. The general direction of their footsteps and the diminishing sound of their small talk told me that they were moving away from us. They were likely heading towards the kitchen to scour for canned food. I had left some there so they would be happily preoccupied.

It took us a while to shake off our terror before we could move. Swiftly, we made our way in the opposite direction of the raiders and crept slowly down the stairs. We had no choice, but to take the risk. We would have had no chance of escape once they continued their search upstairs. I guided Isabella slowly down every step while my blistered hand clutched the dusty railing. We were almost at the bottom when we were suddenly pushed fiercely from behind. Isabella let out a piercing scream. I swung her around and forcefully pushed her out of the way. I yell, "Run!" I then whipped around to face my assailant. A marauder had snuck up the back stairs behind us from the basement door. I thought I had barricaded that entrance. He had a wicked evil smile on his face as he knocked me flat to my knees like a ragdoll. He blew a loose strand of hair out of his eyes and raised his pistol to level it at my head. I closed my eyes in resignation.

Isabella didn't run and instead suddenly clutched me from behind in a crouched position. She jolted me back into life. I had pushed her too hard when I tried to get her to escape and she had fallen instead. I can't do anything right.

"Boys, I found some party guests!" the blonde one menacingly smirked.

The other marauders rushed in grinning wildly and waving their pistols about like it was a grand party. Their wicked smiles widened at the sight of us. They especially stared at Isabella while slowly licking their lips. I desperately bolted forward towards them and was humiliated when they easily flicked me off like a fly. Two of them relaxed their grips on their firearms, but the one that threatened us never loosened his grip or aim on his. They inspected us like sharks watching their prey prior to strucking. One was a redhead and the other wore a black Mohawk. _Who takes the time to shape and dye their hair during these times? He is truly crazy_. Ironically, that thought didn't reassure me at all. Both men clutched my parents' cans of food and bottles of water in their arms. I had intended to surprise Isabella with a true meal once we ended up here today. I prayed that they hadn't found my secret stash of food downstairs in the basement. Judging from the few items in their arms, they likely hadn't yet. Setting the food down, the marauders regarded us with amusement.


	7. Chapter VI: Inner Demons

Finally, the one with the black Mohawk spoke. "Well well, if it isn't my old friend Phineas. I haven't seen you in a long time. What is a scrawny pathetic kid like you doing around here?" He mocked me as he scrunched up his eyes and nose in contempt.

I furrowed my brow at the marauder. I tried hard not to cower in fear no matter how much I was scared. How in the world does he know me? I racked my brain which was still confused from being hit by them. Finally, something clicked in my head. I was able to identify the man before me. When I did, my fear exacerbated a hundred fold. My heart dropped.

Boldly and unwisely, I declared, "Buford, you're still the same jerk as ever aren't you? You were nothing but a pathetic petty criminal and wannabe tough guy in high school. Looks like you lived up to your grand dreams after all!" I sarcastically shot back at him. At this point, verbal abuse was the only weapon I had. How pathetic. I wanted to distract them enough to either let Isabella escape or for me to grab one of their guns. When I saw she wasn't moving, I inched closer to one of the broken stair railings nearby.

Suddenly, Buford decided to brutally kick me in my shins and then let out a thunderous laugh. He had unintentionally moved me from the railing that I tried to reach for. They apparently weren't afraid of making noise; they were the threat! His laughter echoed around the house. I worried myself that the loud bellow would attract other marauders. Three were already too many for Isabella and me to handle.

Thankfully, no one else came. I debated in my mind whether to give Buford what he wanted. I had to cower in front of him. It would be just for his amusement. Isabella knew my mind. She shook her head ever so slightly at me to indicate to me that nothing I did at this moment would make a difference. Even now, she was here to support me. It made me care for her more and I thought about how lucky I was to have her in my life. Aside from my parents and my brother, she would have been the one I also wanted to live.

Buford lowered his intimidating face down to mine with a devilish smile; the drift of his terrible breath entered my nostrils and almost made me choke.

He disdainfully proclaimed, "Look who's talking. Are you any different Phineas? We all know what you did with your brother. You are legendary for that in the neighbourhood!"

I instantly tensed up when Buford mentioned the incident. I could never escape what I did. Even now it surfaced. _Oh my God, I got it now!_ All of Isabella's questioning and it took Buford to get me to understand myself.Buford was right. I visibly deflated and lost courage. This was what I have been running away from and why I have been reckless with my own safety since my parents have been out of my life. I was deeply ashamed and looked around nervously to see if the others had noticed my weakness. Unfortunately, they had. I now recognized the other two marauders as Baljeet and Irving. They were juvenile delinquents from another neighbourhood and hung around Buford when we were all younger. All of them had terrifying looks plastered on their faces. _How did they survive when others who were good died like my parents? No my parents can't be dead and these rats live. It wasn't right. What was right in the world now?_

Buford continued, "Do you remember Ferb's screams of agony? Do you remember his crumpled and crushed body? What about the blood rushing out of his leg after that car hit him? How close he was to death because of you?"

I tried to cover my ears as tears fought their way out of the corner of my eyes. Buford circled me and deliberately walked closer to me with each sentence. I found myself stepping back in horror and shrinking, but it wasn't small enough. Finally, I found myself against the wall. I felt Isabella's pity for me. I didn't want her sympathy. It was the last thing I wanted. I just wanted to die. Only Isabella's presence and the need to let her escape kept me going. Buford was there that fateful day when we both were nine. I was looking after Ferb who was five at the time and full of energy.

Buford violently poked me at the base of my neck. I tried to not grimace.

Buford sneered, "Do you remember how much he suffered because of you? Just because you wanted to help the old lady with her groceries and didn't bother to shut the gate properly for your little brother!"

Life continued to be so cruel. I wanted to explode and burst. It was actually Buford who thought it would be a great laugh to knock down the lady's groceries out of her bags in front of my yard. He was the one who taunted me by saying, "What are you going to do now, Boy Scout?"

He was right. Selfishly, I was looking to get my fifth boy scout badge for citizenship. I was always mocked by Buford and his gang for missing things to look after my brother for my parents who worked hard. At the time, I was self-assured and brushed it off as immaturity and jealousy on their part. Isabella was always there to talk to when sometimes their taunting became too much for me. I had always wanted to fight back with bitter words and even my fists, but she always asked me to stay true to myself. Buford's gang would have pulverized me anyway, but it sure would have been nice to land just one punch.

On that dreadful day fourteen years ago, I had put the clasp down on the gate and told Ferb to wait. Ferb sweetly smiled and said, "Okay Phineas." I still remembered his last true smile. We were just about to kick around the soccer ball when Buford pulled his prank.

I thought I closed the gate properly. I obviously didn't because my brother got out from behind the gate. The woman I was helping suddenly took a sharp intake of breath while her face was fixed in horror. My peripheral vision to the left caught a glimpse of a small ball rolling into the street. Just as I turned, I heard a piercing screech of brakes and a hollow thud. It was followed by what sounded like crumpling dry sticks. _Ferb!_ It was a hit-and-run. I guess the dent was too small to need repair for the driver to get caught. In contrast the accident's impact on my brother's life and my relationship with him was irreparable. I have gone over the scenario a hundred times. _Did I hear the click or not?_ Since then, I have questioned myself on most things and rejected anyone complimenting me. I still took on responsibilities, but always apprehensively. I vowed to God that if my five-year-old brother lived, I would never think just of myself again. My only way around this vow was to try to be free by being adventurous and explore whenever I could. I also felt that I no longer belonged since that time. Not even in my own family. After that day, I no longer felt that I deserved to be loved or could love.


	8. Chapter VII: Threat

I was taken aback, because suddenly it hit me that it was my mindless selfishness that brought Isabella to my house. I had wanted to give her a proper meal, but mostly I wanted to search my parents' house again. I knew better than to bring her here. For me, it was reinforced that trying to care for someone just puts them in harm's way. After the rush of painful realizations, I froze in shock. Isabella seemed to be immobilized as well because she stayed perfectly still. For a moment all was silent. Isabella's tears started to roll down my neck. I don't know why, but I knew she was crying for me.

I deserved all of the blame for the incident. I couldn't blame Buford as much as I would have liked to. Unwittingly I felt rage starting to boil up within me. This was an emotion that was so familiar to me. I felt forgotten as my parents focused for years on regaining my brother's health. How could I protest? I did well in school so my parents didn't have to take care of me too. They both worked as scientists. Financially, we were affected because they took a lot of time off work to bring Ferb to doctors. I may have been wrong, but there was apparent favouritism towards my brother. Truthfully, it wasn't my parents that I was actually mad at. Rather it was at Ferb because as he grew older, he didn't even try to hide his resentment towards me. I couldn't really blame Ferb and deep down I still loved him because I believe he wouldn't be this way without what he went through. I am the only one to blame for changing my family's and brother's lives.

Right now, the only thing that kept me from punching the twisted man in front of me was the cold barrel of the Buford's gun brutally digging into my stomach. Buford has never taken well to being challenged. I am brought back to the present by another viscous jab of Buford's gun. I felt the powerful feeling simmer down within me. I took deep breaths to calm myself and bring my mind back to the present. Buford seemed to be less agitated as well. He stepped back while sweating profusely and clumsily wiped his lip.

Without warning, Irving snuck up to Isabella and grabbed her by her chin. He roughly made her rise and lifted her head to meet his. He penetrated her gaze with almost a predatory look and then surveyed her up and down. It looked as though he were studying a piece of meat to eat. Abruptly, he suddenly dropped her and she winced. Inside I knew she was willing for me to kill her now. It was well known that women captured by gangs were subsequently sold to the highest bidder and raped.

Irving's voice came out as sort of a whistle due to the gaps in several of his teeth. He addressed Isabella and declared, "You will be our piece of fun for a week before you entertain many others." He sneered, "Your little useless friend Phineas must be very lucky."

Isabella irately slapped away Baljeet's probing hand with a growl, but he grabbed her roughly around the neck. "My, you are a pretty little one aren't you?" he snickered. "She's is a fighter isn't she? Feisty, the way I like them. Perhaps we should keep this one instead of trading her away! Imagine how much fun we could have with her. Everyday!" He went on, "Maybe even a live rental doll for ongoing bartering."


	9. Chapter VIII: Musketeer

The marauders all broke out into simultaneous boisterous laughter. All Isabella could do was to scowl furiously as they continued to laugh at her. I was livid. The mere thought of these terrible men laying their hands on Isabella set off a flurry of rage within me. _I couldn't lose her too._ Without warning, I spontaneously threw an uppercut swing into the face of the nearest marauder which happened to be Baljeet. He yelped in pain and let go of Isabella to clutch his now bloody face and broken nose. I had no idea I had such power. This must have been an accumulation of all of my pent-up anger. The other two were too shocked to move for a moment. I grabbed Isabella's hand and almost dragged her with me as I dashed back up the stairs. Our tormentors were in hot pursuit. They were blocking the path outside the house, but I had thought of a plan.

As we burst into the living room, I seized a red hot iron poker from the nearby fireplace and swung it across the knee of the Irving. The act sent him immediately to the ground, howling in pure agony. _That felt good._ I moved around like I was insane. Jabbing like an uncoordinated musketeer, I next scorched the outstretched hand of Baljeet. The scent of burnt flesh filled the hallway. It was like an old fashioned barbeque except with putrid human flesh on the menu. He dropped his gun and clung on to his singed hand in full anguish. Baljeet and Irving both rolled on the floor trying to cool either their knee or hand. It was surreal. They screamed like a couple of mad baboons. There was no running water or butter for the poor babies.

Their guns lay aimlessly on the floor as their attention was turned to their searing body parts. I quickly kicked the guns out of their reach while monitoring Buford at the same time. Unfortunately, from my experience with him during my high-school years, I knew that he was far smarter than the others. He wasn't going to blindly rush into my makeshift burning sword. I waited while trying to recall the moves of the Batman TV show that I used to watch with Ferb. My brother would be impressed. I tried to catch my breath. I should have picked up the guns, but I didn't know how to fire them. I couldn't kill anyone anyway, but injuring was fair game. I compromised. Isabella was safely behind me. I decided to make the first move to not let him have the advantage of his firearm.

Isabella felt me lunge forward and screamed, "NO!"

Buford took aim at my head as I swung frantically at his gun. He managed to pull his hand just in time and deftly tossed the gun to his other hand. A lucky backswing with the poker and I caught the barrel of the gun. I succeeded in knocking it from his grasp. Quickly, I steadied myself and tried to strike him with the red iron rod again. This time, he was ready and grabbed the middle of the poker. He was truly nuts on top of his ridiculous Mohawk. Buford underestimated how far up the rod the burning fire had heated the metal. It was still quite hot where he grabbed. He screamed in torment and quickly released his hold on the poker. I rapidly took advantage of this and drove the hot end of the iron into his stomach. Miraculously, the end didn't puncture him, but it still caused him immense pain as his clothes singed with a puff of smoke. He screamed loudly. I couldn't bear to look in his direction. Isabella covered her ears as his nightmarish screams echoed throughout the house as he frantically looked for water. I grabbed Isabella's hand from her ear. My heart hammered in my chest while in unison we dashed down the stairs and out the door. I called out each step for her. We continued to hear the three different types of screams and snarls of rage behind us.


	10. Chapter IX: Escape

We ran into the chilled wind howling like an opera within my ears. We fled desperately from the marauders. We heard their enraged cries and heavy footsteps catching up to us. I couldn't afford to pay attention to them and just kept running with Isabella at my side. The fire had helped to warm us up in the house, but a bit of food would have helped us more. I guess our adrenaline from fear was keeping us going. We approached the bus stop on Sixth Street. Several months ago I had found a hidden entrance at the bus stop which led to both the underground tunnels of the now defunct subway system and the city sewer system of pipes and passageways. Wanting to keep my discovery a secret, I had camouflaged the entrance with a false wall and small trap door. I lifted the wall with a barely audible creak as we heard the marauders close to the corner. Together we swiftly slipped inside the tiny hole. Luckily, Isabella just followed my lead. Somehow even with my incompetency, she still trusted me. I quickly closed the trapdoor after us. We slipped into the dank and musty darkness below. Beady eyes of many rats looked at us and then scampered away. Briefly, there were heavy footsteps above us and loud curses penetrated the walls before everything suddenly fell silent as the Buford and his gang fade into the distance. We took a moment to catch our breath.

We soon traversed the sewers below the city. Apparently, I didn't have to tell Isabella where we were.

"God, Phineas, did you take us down to the sewers? The smell is god awful!" she successfully deduced.

I knew she was glad to be safe though despite her protests.

"Only the best for you my angel," I replied.

"At least the cold wind is gone," she commented. "Thank you Phineas my swashbuckling hero,"

"Just call me Mr. Musketeer,"

"How about Muskrat?" she retorted. "Don't they live in sewers now?"

We both grinned, but mostly we were tremendously relieved to escape those three beasts. I gave Isabella a quick, but genuine hug. She returned it while sinking into the safety of my arms. We had no time and we had to carry on. Ferb needed us. He had walked too much on his amputated stump and it had gotten swollen and infected. He had to trade his treasured prosthetic leg for antibiotics. The traders probably melted the metal down for scrap.

Ferb hadn't been the same since he lost his independence again. The eight and a half years of poor nutrition had also worn him down more than Isabella and me. I hadn't seen him cry since he was young, but he did that night he lost his prosthesis. It was the closest he let me be to him since the incident. I promised him that I would try to find pieces to build him something again. That promise got a thanks from him, but I knew he didn't believe I could do it. I was at least able to retrieve a small can for him from our house. I will save it for him for when we get back to the Hole. It won't be safe to return to the house for a long time and if I know Buford, he will trash the place and keep a constant eye on it for my return. Buford never forgets any slight; even if he deserves it.

The sewer stank of excrement and dead animals. Dripping water made methodical plopping sounds that resonated like Chinese water torture through the miles of pipes. Isabella and I cautiously made our way along the edge. The last thing we wanted was to fall into the dirty and murky water below. The tunnel was pitch black and I could only guide us by running my hand along its side. The rough wall was grimy and my hand stung as it hit the occasional metal obstruction. I reminded myself that the pain was preferable to the murky water below. I held Isabella close to my body as we made our way down the narrow walkway through the sewers. Both she and Ferb depended on my knowing how to get back to the Hole.

We didn't speak through the tunnels, for again we feared that we would attract the attention of anyone else in the sewers, or worse, something not even human. It was surprising how much we could communicate with finger drawn patterns in each other's palm that we had devised. The corridor seemed to wind on endlessly through the darkness. I have only ventured through these tunnels once before, but I luckily I had a keen sense of direction. The route seemed much longer than my last time in here. After what seemed like an eternity of feeling our way through the darkness, my eyes finally detected a circle. It appeared less black than the surroundings. I must have been hallucinating. _Could a mirage actually exist in tunnels, let alone dark ones?_ My mind was going in circles and I needed to get us out soon. I was getting disoriented.


	11. Chapter X: Unforgiven

"Isabella, I think I see some distant light ahead. Hang on, we'll be above ground soon," I whispered to her trying to encourage both me and her. She patted my hand back to tell me that she was okay.

The day's events had worn us out. It had been a long circuitous journey because of Buford. I was torn. I hoped he was okay [Really? I can't believe that Phineas would have any sympathy for this guy…], but I also wished him death for the plans he had for Isabella. However truthfully, my real demons came from inside me. Buford had brought all of my wounds back to the surface from when I was irresponsible while caring for my brother. _I was only nine._ I could still hear my brother's screams in my head. When the blood spurted out of Ferb's leg all over my face after I rushed to his side. I felt immobilized. At the time, I clouded over and I couldn't see. All I continued to hear was my little brother's agony and loud moans. _Sirens. Too many people._

My parents rushed to the hospital and found me in hysterics and hyperventilating. "I'm so sorry!" is all that I could repeat over and over to my parents. It was so bad that the doctor had to inject me with something to calm me down. I drowsily woke up to my parents talking.

The doctor in his sympathetic hushed tones explained, "Your Ferb is a tough little five-year-old. For a while there, we didn't know with all of the blood lost from the cut major leg artery if he would survive. He has needed blood transfusions and regained his heartbeat with resuscitation. Luckily his vital signs crashed in hospital and not on the street. He is stable right now, but we worry about his head being hit. The gravel from the road accumulated in his wound as he was thrown from the car bumper causing some infection."

He turned to look at me concerned and said, "Your other son Phineas has had a tough go at it too."

Quickly, I closed my eyes so they didn't detect that I was listening in.

My mother said to the doctor, "I don't know what happened. Phineas is mature beyond his years and has always been very responsible. He loves his energetic little brother as much as Ferb loves following him around. We usually can rely on him." My father nodded in agreement.

Her word "usually" had stayed with me all these years. I will never be able to atone for my mistake to either my parents or brother. When I said sorry over and sorry again to them in the beginning, they just had a stern look and quickly turned away. I have seen that look over the years as Ferb recovered from his head injury, went through infection scares, and needed an amputation. Although, they told me that they blamed themselves for giving me too much responsibility, they had never directly forgiven me. _People say the initial reaction is the true one._ I haven't felt that I belonged in my family since then.

Isabella believed that I won't allow myself to be loved because of my mistake. She tried to point out all the good things I did for others, but she was wrong. I wanted another stupid badge for Scouts and I had let my whole family down. She says it was in my nature to want to help people. I told her many times that may be true, but people got hurt around me. An example was this morning when Petra almost got captured. Now those marauders had probably burned down the only remaining possessions of my parents that were so precious to me. I consoled myself as I fought off tears and I ran my hand over the smooth leather of my satchel. That usually soothed me. At least this display of love from my parents was still with me.

I thought at the time that I was doing such a great thing by helping my parents care for Ferb. I reassured them that I could handle it. I enjoyed the adoration of my little brother. Truth was that I liked caring for Ferb even if he was rambunctious at times. Even then, he was very bright and brought me happiness with his enjoyment of the little things in life. We used to watch water drip off trees and I was teaching him to ride a bike before... I thought we would be best pals for life. How wrong I was.


	12. Chapter XI: The Discovery

Mercifully, we soon came to a grate near the end of our path. Pushing with our shoulders, we easily broke through the rusty barrier. Bursting out of the sewer, we gasped for new air. We stumbled out back into the cold street so relieved to be away from the dark and smelly environment. After laying against a slope for a few moments to catch our breath, we collected ourselves, and continued on down the street. I looked up at some old street signs and became upset as I realized that we had come out farther than I had wanted. Fearing more encounters with another group of marauders, I suggested that we slip into another tunnel to head back. The gangs preferred to remain above ground. To be honest, I couldn't help myself and I admit that I was also curious to explore this new part of the subway system. I of course did not share this with Isabella. Despite my revelations after the encounter with Buford, I still felt the need to keep searching for something to feel fulfilled. This particular set of channels did not reek of the sewage and was very spacious. As we walked down the old tracks, I made out another faint glow in the distance. This one was a bit different in that it seemed to form a halo and was a stronger yellow.

I lightly turned Isabella's face to mine and whispered, "Isabella, there's another faint glow further down the tunnel." I directed her to change directions to head towards it.

We made our way towards the strange light. I gasped at what I saw when I rounded the last corner. Before me was one of the most brilliant things that I have ever seen. A unique illumination penetrated the darkness of the tunnel.

Isabella's sharp ears heard my light gasp, "What is it? What do you see? It feels warm."

Ignoring Isabella, I leaned closer and peered through the halo. For a moment, I had no words for what I saw. Nausea welled up in the pit of my stomach from the spinning lights and left me a bit disoriented. Gradually, I become aware of Isabella tugging lightly on my arm. She spoke quietly as if we were still being stalked by the evil men above us.

"Phineas…What do you see?"

I smiled in delight and turned to her and described, "I see a brilliant city beyond the light." There are sunlit spires of different colours. It's unlike anything I have ever viewed before." I was instantly captivated by its brightness after living in this dim world for so long. Some of the buildings reached high into the sky like our old city skyscrapers used to. Machines flew in an organized fashion between the buildings along an invisible roadway. I saw some people walking on sidewalks that were actually a clean sparkling white. Unlike our world, there was no debris or broken windows. Suddenly, I became aware of a weird vibration emanating from the halo. It looked like some type of light tunnel. I had no idea where it led exactly or even if it was safe.

Fearfully, Isabella feeling the pulsations, urgently pulled my arm as she spoke, "Come on Phineas, let us leave this place. I really don't like this."

She must have been reacting to my straining forward to get a better look. She knew me well. She knew that I was so tempted to explore the futuristic world I witnessed. Reluctantly, I turned away from what appeared to be a portal. I started back to the surface with Isabella, but not before I took careful note of how to get back to this place. I couldn't hurt her again that day by leaving her at that moment. I wouldn't bring her with me to explore the light tunnel unless I knew it was safe first. Isabella had already gone through enough that day because of me. Nevertheless, I had a strong urge to come back and check it out more thoroughly. I promised myself that I would.


	13. Chapter XII: The Hole

We trudged back towards our hideout located in the outskirts of the city. We snuck through alleyways and through narrow back routes. It was eerily hushed as our wet shoes made a soft squishing sound. We snickered like little children each time it happened. Being with Isabella always made my burdens feel lighter. The Hole as we called it was far away from anyone or anything else. It has been our home base for the last few years. Together with Isabella, I approached the hideout cautiously to avoid drawing the attention of anyone who could be following us. So far, we had been successful in covering our tracks. Our little shelter was rugged and weathered. It's silhouette gave the place the appearance of a shaggy old man hunched over the hill. It was barely seven feet high and could scarcely fit all of us in at once. At least we warmed it up with our body heat and proximity to each other. The resources we had were limited, so thankfully they didn't take up much space in our humble space. If my parents could see us now. My Dad always said to Mom that we had too many toys and books. No worry about that now. In reality, our tight abode was little more than a grizzled hut pressed snuggly into the mountainside. It was all that we had. The tiny entrance was effectively camouflaged by the hill's terrain and required one to enter like a beaver does into its dam.

I almost collapsed in relief at the sight of the chamber's wooden door. Gently I squeezed Isabella's hand reassuring her that we had finally made it back. I had been holding her all this time. She had been shivering beside me the whole way back. I could tell that she was still deeply affected by our close encounter with the marauders. There was an air of vulnerability around her and I knew she hated it as much as me. This time there was nothing she could do about it until she felt safe again pressed between Ferb and myself for warmth.


	14. Chapter XIII: Our Rock

Isabella often intervened when tension built between me and my younger brother. It was interesting how we had become a unit until Ferb's amputated stump got infected recently. It was fortunate the Isabella knew how to mix a salve for him from a patch of roots she had found close by. The concoction had stopped the spread of Ferb's infection and swelling, but it still didn't look pretty. It certainly hadn't healed enough for him to leave the hole yet. We had to be extra careful to hide our entrance and exits since he was vulnerable when we were away scavenging. I loved Isabella for how well she took care of Ferb. He also became softer when she spoke to him. Sometimes he could be so bitter towards me. He had never admitted it out loud, but I saw it in his eyes that he still blamed me for the loss of his leg. Recently, I had lost my patience for his occasional jabs at me. The lack of proper sleep and hunger hadn't helped either.

Isabella's name was of Greek origin meaning the rock. Isabella was our solid rock foundation. She never talked about her background much. She knew nothing about her birth family. As a baby she was found on the doorstep at the local church in the proverbial basket and blanket. After an unsuccessful search for her birth parents, she was adopted by a Greek couple. I often teased her about that Moses basket. She always took it good naturedly and poked me back. She would only tell us that her upbringing was bad and mentioned that she was treated like Cinderella. I met her at school in grade seven. This was three years after the incident with Ferb. We both connected because we were studious and sat alone for lunch. I couldn't engage in small talk after what happened to Ferb so I withdrew from my friends at school. It was she who approached me. I was glad. She was patient and in the beginning we often sat in mostly silence. It took a while, but we became close friends. Isabella often came over to my house after her chores. My parents and Ferb came to adore her so much. She was the one who brought laughter back into our house. When she was sixteen, her drunk adoptive parents died in a car accident. She told us later on that they were abusive towards her. My parents immediately offered for her to stay with us. My mom was glad for some female company. That was how Isabella came to be with us in the bomb shelter when the Devastation started.


	15. Chapter XIV: Tension

I made my way up to the rotting doorway of the Hole and took out my key. The lock itself was ancient and anyone with the proper strength could have easily broken the door down, but it provided us with a false sense of security from any intruders. More importantly, it gave us a sense of some normalcy. The key was moldy and rusted, but it still dimly shone in the fading sunlight. I inserted it into the lock and turned, but the door was already unlocked.

A rush of panic struck me. _Who's in there? Where's Ferb?_

Softly, I opened the door and cringed as it creaked open. It was the same old sound everyday, but I had never gotten used to it. I took a deep breath and stepped in through the entryway. As soon as I walked through the door, my eyes adjusted to the dim lighting. I could just barely make out a figure hunched over in the corner. Given the events of today and the unlocked door, I instantly tensed up.

As soon as I heard the familiar snoring, I sighed in relief. The guy could sleep through anything. I shook my head in frustration before nudging roughly the person on the floor with my foot. Instantly, the figure on the floor flinched and desperately grabbed at a stick nearby.

"Phineas, what the heck!?" he shouted. Ferb tried to shake the sleepiness out of his head.

I crossed my arms at the figure like a disapproving parent and stared down at the person who had slouched back down to the ground, "You're supposed to be guarding the shed Ferb!"

Ferb rubbed his red eyes. He sat up gingerly. I could tell that he was still waking up, but I didn't care. I was annoyed at him and he wasn't receiving any of my pity this time.

He looked up dazed at my furious face as I continued my rant, "Don't you know the dangers of leaving the shed exposed! We could have lost everything! Do you know how hard it is to help you guys! Lately, you just sit there waiting to be served!"

With a condescending look, Ferb sneered at me and slowly said, "Phineas, my leg. No prosthesis. Open sore. Infection. Remember?"

Isabella threw me a disapproving face followed by a slight tilt of her head to encourage me to apologize to my brother. She always reminds us that it is only the three of us now.

I felt instantly ashamed. Buford's taunting about what I did to Ferb opened up a Pandora's box of my emotions. I didn't know how to contain them again. I followed my brother's gaze downward and saw where his leg used to be. The leg had been severed all the way up to the knee. Where his leg was supposed to be, there was just a stump. It was all red and swollen with some pus in one area.

"Hey man, at least watch the door and keep it locked. You were lucky no one came and found this place. If someone did, then we would have lost everything." _Including you,_ I added silently in my thoughts.

Ferb chuckled at me. "I am one of the few things in here. What, am I suddenly valuable to you?" he joked. He would never guess this has always been true.

I gritted my teeth as Isabella sat down beside me silently and looked up at me imploring me to stop. I couldn't help myself and continued, "This is no laughing matter! Don't you know the risks of dropping your guard?"

Ferb made a big roll of his eyes just to irritate me. He mocked my voice and said "Don't you know the risks of travelling out in the city alone?"

Trembling in rage, I raised my fist to strike him allowing my anger to take control of me. All the while, Ferb just kept smiling. He loved to get my goat. Just like Buford today taunting me. A good strike would wipe that smile right off of his face.

 _What is happening to me?_

Suddenly I felt a trembling hand grasp my wrist to stop me. I turned towards the Isabella, who was clutching my arm fearfully and she started to cry. I gradually relaxed my fist and let my arm fall to my side. I sighed and lowered my head and sunk down. I was too exhausted and had a such short fuse today after meeting with Buford. Ferb was the first male I have seen since Buford and his gang and he was getting the brunt of my anger.

At the sight of Isabella's tears, Ferb also lost his urge to annoy me. As well his smirk dropped and he lowered his head back down. I took a deep breath to calm myself down and turned away from him. _As usual._ The words of my mom rolled through my head. _What am I doing?_ _I want Ferb to be safe and now I wanted to pound him._ I started a fight when I am relieved to see him. Demons. Inner demons. This is why no one should care for me. _I'm messed up._ Strolling over to the shelves, I put the supplies I had gathered on top of the rusty metal with a clang and tried to keep busy.

I mumbled with my back turned to my brother, "We had a close call with some marauders today."

Ferb jerked his head up shocked. His black hair flew wildly. "You ran into marauders and didn't get caught?! You put Isabella at risk? How did you get away?"

I nodded hesitantly, "Yeah, we managed to escape from them through the tunnels. It was really dark down there and they couldn't follow us. We lost some of our supplies running from them."

Ferb chuckled, "Did you run into anything terrifying down there?" he asked teasingly. We used to pretend as children we were deformed monsters after a nuclear war and chase each other. Before the incident...

I tensed up remembering. I hesitated debating whether or not to tell him about the strange portal. Isabella must have been thinking about this too. I shook my head, praying that he wouldn't notice my slight hesitation. "Nope, nothing but rats and stinky sewage."

Ferb stared at me with his brown eyes and I felt myself sweating under his intense gaze. Finally, he turned away and nodded, seemingly satisfied with my answer. I breathed a sigh of relief.

He laughed, "You lost some supplies, but brought back to the Hole a new wonderful scent?"


	16. Chapter XV: Unrevealed

Isabella sat up beside me and grabbed my arm reassuringly. "Phineas and I are going to take a walk." She said softly.

Ferb scoffed and waved his bony hand dismissively. "Sure, go ahead again. I don't care. I will just sit here looking debonair for your return."

It was actually nice to see some of his humor back. I was about to carry on with him, but Isabella squeezed my arm indicating that she wanted to talk to me about something. I closed my mouth and together we walked out of the rusty shed and into the fading sunlight. Isabella turned to me with a very concerned look on her face. Her eyes stared off beyond me, but her face showed that she was deep in thought. Finally, she spoke.

"Why didn't you tell him?" She asked, "He's no longer a kid"

I shook my head at her before catching myself, "I couldn't. I can't trust him not to go looking for it himself. He can be reckless."'

"But he's your brother!" protested Isabella,

I nodded, "Yes, but I'm not even sure that he would believe me. He's still young... He doesn't really like me remember?"

Isabella sighed and reached her arm out and tried to rest it on my shoulder. I gently shifted it to my shoulder and let her lean on me with her head laying on my shoulder. Together, we sat on the barren, rocky hill as I watched the sunset. Being with Isabella like this was the best part of the day. The sun's fading rays cast themselves across the city like a bright warm blanket. The ruins of New-York lay out before us like a crushed model city with tiny cars and miniature buildings beneath us. The view itself was a wonder to behold, but at the same time it brought back painful reminders of a better life that didn't exist anymore.

Finally, Isabella spoke once more, "Try to get along with Ferb. He is the only family you have now." I saw her head turn to the orange sky. She reminded me, "You used to tell me you and Ferb were close when you were younger. You both used to play, run, and laugh in the forest behind your house."

I sighed and stared at the pavement, "Isabella make no mistake, you are my family too now." She gave me a beautiful smile that warmed my heart.

I continued on. "I can't go back to being that way. Ever since…the incident, everything has changed. My brother resents me now, you know that."

Isabella said softly, "Don't worry Phineas, I see how much you both care for each other and I am sure that someday you will both be able to reconcile."

I turned to her with a soft smile even though I know she couldn't see it. I now knew why I felt so emotional when she was being harassed by the marauders earlier today. She is my rock. Always has been. I folded into her embrace before shortly heading back inside.


	17. Chapter XVI: Temptation

The sun rose over the sleepy streets of the city and woke me lightly with its soft rays. It had been only in the last three years that we have started to see the round shape of the sun and felt its warmth. It took five years for the ash to settle out of the atmosphere. Groggily, I sat up and rubbed my tired red eyes. I was frequently the first up. I quietly crept to our cache of food and took a small piece of hard bread. It was my version of breakfast on the go. The sunlight filtered cleanly through the crack in the door as I stumbled towards it and pushed it open. I stepped almost drunkenly onto the barren hill and stumbled down the slope. Judging by the angle of the sun in the sky and the quietness of the city, I guessed that it was still relatively early.

Perhaps it was the nagging need for adventure or the need to get away from the memories triggered by my brother that got me up so early. Regardless of what it was, I was propelled to get going. I kept walking down the incline while wearily looking out for any enemy marauders. I knew that very few of them wandered the streets this early, so I gathered that I would be safe for a while. I had miraculously been able to recover some decent shoes from a shed I found on the outskirts of the city Confines. We were once again running low on supplies because of yesterday's losses. I hoped to make this an early scavenging mission so I could get back to the Hole earlier today. I didn't want Isabella to worry and wanted to save her venturing out today. She had to stay and tend to Ferb's wound.

As I walked through the street, I found my thoughts keep wandering back to Isabella and I couldn't figure out why. I found myself getting more and more distracted by images of her serene face and round brown eyes. I shook my head to clear these images from my mind and tried to concentrate on the present. It was too dangerous to be distracted around here, so I forced myself to focus by pinching my face. I soon found myself back in the part of the city where Isabella and I fled from the marauders yesterday. I tried to tell myself that it was just pure luck that I ended up back here, but deep inside I knew that wasn't true at all. Isabella was coming to mind because she didn't want me to come here again. She was scared for the recklessness that I accused my brother of having yesterday night.

I quietly approached the entrance to the same subway station where we had discovered the portal. Carefully, I propped the door open just enough to slip through. For a moment, I contemplated the consequences of my actions, but I was spurred on by an excitement building inside where there was normally an emotional void. With barely a noise, I closed the entrance to the tunnel and was instantly shrouded in darkness.

The tunnel was long and damp, just as I had remembered it. I made my way down the passageway Isabella and I had taken the day before. I just couldn't contain my excitement! I wanted to return to the fascinating light tunnel so badly, and I figured now would be the best time to do it with the others asleep. Feeling guilt in leaving my responsibilities would have stopped me cold. My attachment to Isabella and my sick brother would have normally stopped me. Instead, I blocked further thoughts of them and walked straight through the tunnels on the route I took yesterday. Sure enough, I caught a glimpse of the strange glow once more. It seemed to be beckoning me in. The glow was warm and welcoming and I found myself sprinting towards it. I just needed to do this.

Like yesterday after turning the corner, I was instantly blinded by the intensity of the glow. The ring of light was still here although it appeared smaller. It was now only a few feet wide and the city beyond the rift seemed less defined and further away. Nevertheless, its spires still shone in the morning light. Airships billowing smoke with trails of yellow exhaust in the shape of a fat cigar zipped in sharp angle flight paths among the buildings. So green and alive with vegetation, it looked like paradise. I hesitated and my head filled with alarming thoughts. _If I ventured over; what and who would I find? This may be the chance to find the hope and help that we so desperately needed. Would I ever be able to find my way back? Maybe I should bring them with me?_ The debate raged in my head. _Will this opportunity ever arise again? There was no time to bring them here, especially with Ferb's leg. Will I be harmed stepping through?_ I naively convinced myself that this last scenario couldn't be true. "Just a lighted open passageway," I reassured myself.

I felt frenzied and grasped my head with my hands and let out an involuntary "argh!" My fear was starting to get the better of me. I knew if I didn't make a decision soon, I would not have the courage to step through. I clenched my fists, inhaled a deep breath, squeezed my eyes tightly shut, and leapt before I could stop myself.


	18. Chapter XVII: Arrival

As I passed through the portal, I felt as though my body was being stretched as thin thread. Immense electrical tingling rushed into every cell of my being. It was like how I would imagine a light beam to feel. Almost floating. No pain. Then it stopped. As I regained consciousness, my eyes continued to roll as I tried to open my eyes. Only my left eyelid would cooperate. I had to instantly shield myself as the bright daylight blinded me. _Ohhhh…_ Fresh air void of decay filled my lungs.

I didn't know how long I laid there just breathing. I let the warm sunlight bathe my face and body and relished the sudden assault on my senses. Jolted back to reality, I don't know why, but I first checked that I was still clothed. My clothes, my body, my hair...I breathed a sigh of relief. Everything seemed intact. Cautiously, I scanned my surroundings. As I turned back to look behind me, I reached out hysterically. My fingers grasped...nothing. The light tunnel I just arrived from had vanished. "Ferb, Isabella," I screamed and then my voice faded.

Panic overcame me as I collapsed and folded into the floor. "Great, you're totally screwed now!" I berated myself. "I messed up again." Isabella and Ferb will feel abandoned. She will know that I didn't heed her plea and went anyway. Both will make pointless searches for me while putting themselves in danger. They were left alone to fend for themselves and I knew they needed me. I have left them with the same feelings of ache that I had when my parents did not return. They will always be wondering what happened to me and they will never know for sure.

"Get a hold of yourself Phineas. Take a moment. Figure this out." I stammered out loud while I tried to get a grip on my situation. Inwardly I reminded myself to stop talking. Needing to be alert helped to replace my anguish. Who or what lived here? Where was I? I resumed taking note of my new surroundings. I gingerly stepped into a patio of some sort which was about ten stories high above the ground. In front of me was a doorway into what looked like some sort of office. Behind me, where the portal would have been before I stepped through, was a walkway leading to another entrance. The flying "cars" were zipping along all around me, following some unseen three dimensional roadway. The great buildings that surrounded me appeared to be constructed with a sparkling metal unlike anything I had ever seen. The expansive windows were covered with dark glass of different reflective colours. The tallest towers reached far into the upper cloud layer shrouding the upper part of the towers in mist and fog. I caught sight of brilliant airships in the distance as they made their way across the clear blue sky. They looked even larger in real life than when I glimpsed them through the portal, their engines billowing smoke and flashing fire in the sunlight. I watched in awe as one flew over my head, the sounds of the pumping engines and bellows of its whistle briefly drowning out the howling wind in my ears. As I gasped at the sights, a strong sense of wonder flowed through me. I was gob smacked by the sheer impressiveness and technological advancement that this city possessed. It was unlike anything I had ever seen or even imagined before.


	19. Chapter XVIII: Encounter

After several minutes of taking in the beautiful sight, I returned to my senses and shook my head. Deciding that staying in such an obvious place may not be a good idea, I made my way away from the edge and entered the office doorway in front of me. The hallways were decorated with magnificent paintings depicting various machines and artifacts of the past. My footsteps echoed softly on the black and white tiles lining the floor. Tensing up, I reminded myself that I was not in my world of the apocalypse anymore. Even more so now, I had to stay on my guard.

Suddenly I heard rapid footsteps and I felt someone approach from behind me. At least they had feet whatever they were. I tried, but I couldn't hide myself quickly enough so I turned around apprehensively. I was pleasantly relieved by the attractive young woman behind me. She was petite so maybe even just a girl. She looked just a bit younger than myself, but that could have been the lines on my face from the harsh conditions I just came from. Cocking her head, she returned my gaze with one of her own. She was curious, but not scared. She examined me up and down. After several seconds of awkward silence, she spoke.

"Well, well, well. What's a scruffy guy like you doing up here in the observatory?" she said with a hint of flirting.

She then suddenly frowned at me and I silently wondered if I had breached some form of etiquette. With a slightly accusatory tone she professed, "You're not from around here are you?"

I tried to rapidly formulate a charming, but believable answer in my head. After a moment's pause, I spoke with as much confidence as I could muster. Standing up straight, I nonchalantly replied, "What do you mean? I live in that tower over there." While gesturing with my head to the rather modest bronze tower I observed just moments before, I waved my index finger awkwardly to my left. Again, this beautiful girl studied me intensely as I tried to put a twinkle in my eye. Isabella would look towards my voice, but because of her blindness could never make me feel as self-conscious as this. I realized that I had forgotten to breathe and started to feel my cheeks go red.

She turned her gaze to the balcony and walked to its edge. She stared at the tower I had indicated. She turned to me with a broad smile and I let out a sigh of relief.

 _Phew, I dodged that bullet._

"Hmm... That's the building where most of our machinery to power the dome lies. I doubt if anyone lives in it!" she replied knowingly while slowly nodding her head and squinting her eyes at me.

 _Shoot!_ I tensed up at her triumphant smirk and was visibly deflated. I knew any chance of evading detection while in this new world was thrown out the window.

"You are a little bit of an outsider aren't you?" she said amusedly.

I nodded. There was no use fighting it now. She had found out the truth. "Yeah, it's been a journey and I am tired and famished." I figured this wasn't the best time to reveal the truth. "Sorry, I must be disoriented and wandered into this building," I confessed.

Who would believe me anyway? I hardly believed it myself. This seemed like a futuristic world. I had to find out faster. She looked kind enough to help me, although she seemed stern at times. She had figured out too much already before I knew whether to trust her or not.

She seemed to let down her initial guard and smiled welcomingly at me. She casually announced, "By the way, my name is Adyson. What is yours?"

"Phineas" I answered. She glanced at me picking at my fingernails furiously with my right hand. I felt that she wanted me to feel more at ease and didn't think of me as a threat.

"Very well Phineas, come with me and together we can figure something out and get you taken care of."

Adyson began walking off and I rushed to catch up. I pushed down a fluttery feeling that rose up inside of me. It felt warm, but I pushed that odd sensation away and told myself to focus _._ I forced my legs to move faster. I noticed her as she gave me furtive backward glances. It was as if she was trying to figure out what my real story was. The rest of the walk was spent in silence. Luckily the other inhabitants of this magnificent place were preoccupied and I received only a few curious glances from passersby. I crossed my arms across my chest and felt self-conscious about my body odor. How long had it been since having clean clothes? _Too long._

After a few minutes of silence, I couldn't stand it and finally turned to Adyson and whispered in her ear.

"Why are they looking at me like that?"

She barked a laugh before responding, "They think you're an engineer like me. To be honest, when I saw you, I thought you were one too because of how you held yourself although with the tattered clothes and all... They were probably curious as to why you're this far away from the workshops."

I think she was protecting my feelings. Just like Isabella did. I ran my fingers through my hair thinking it would make a difference to my appearance before eventually giving up. Adyson paused her rapid pace and stood looking up with a pensive stare. I believe she was letting her first impression of me sink in.

Before she could figure out more, I shot out my question, "Are you an engineer then?" hoping to distract her.

She nodded proudly, "Yup, and one of the best and youngest around." Adyson winced at her own arrogance and said more demurely, "well at least the youngest to work on the dome's most important systems." She told me that the city was surrounded apparently by a dome that filtered out and concentrated the rays of light into useable power. Additionally, the temperature was regulated to a precise degree.

I soaked this new information in quickly. Bring so smart, perhaps, she could help me return back to my world and back to Ferb and Isabella. My best bet so far was to stay close to her to negotiate this place. With new clothes she might give me, I hoped that I could seamlessly fit in and she would cover for me. I wasn't that bad with math and science in school so maybe I could contribute. 

It was quite peculiar that with all their advancements, there were still engines with what appeared to be steam powering their machines. " _Was this our future?" "How...how did they recover from the Devastation?"_ Being a scavenger of parts the past few years, I had invented quite a few innovations for heating the Hole and for our security. Perhaps, I could bring back some devices and knowledge from this wondrous place back to my world or better yet bring Isabella and Ferb here.


	20. Chapter XIX: Jumping Realms

After crossing a couple of elevated walkways she led me to a building that was bronze and emitted steam through a dozen smoke stacks at the top. The whole building seemed to shake with the power of the machinery within and I found the rhythm oddly soothing. Adyson took out a card and swiped it at the front door admitting us in. We made our way through the bronze doors and once again I was surprised by how different this tower appeared from the other one I had seen. This one had the appearance of a crazy inventor's workshop. There were bits and pieces of machinery lying everywhere. Various axles, gears, engines, and bits of metal lay strewn across the iron floor. All around I saw people banging away I assumed at metal to shape them into engine parts, propellers, and other pieces that I couldn't even identify.

"We could have machines do this work, but our valuable energy produced needs to go towards our water filtration system," explained Adyson. "Besides, we need to keep up our craftsmen's skills don't we?"

Adyson led me through the noisy workshop and up the iron stairs. I was amazed by the sheer power that surrounded us. As we left the room and made our way up the spiraling staircase, I caught glimpses of other nearby towers. Now that I was closer, I could confirm that they were all different colours. "What's the difference of all of those colours?" I wondered.

When we reached the second level, Adyson unlocked a door and led me into a small apartment. She beckoned me inside and she shut the door after her. "This is my place," she stated. "It's not the most luxurious and you'll have to excuse the mess." She then shyly giggled, "I mostly spend my spare time tinkering here and trying to make my ideas real."

There were so many facets to Adyson. As she locked the door, I walked to the nearest window and peered outside. It wasn't quite as amazing as from above, but it was still captivating.

"Why are all of the towers different colors?" I asked her.

"They correspond to their purpose," Adyson replied, "The bronze ones are where the machinery is assembled, like the one we are in right now. The silver ones are the air bases. The gold ones are residential spaces. The platinum towers are the offices and houses for the higher ups."

"So Phineas, where are you really from if you're not from here?" Adyson asked with a warm smile.

I guess she felt more relaxed in her own place.

"After a brief moment, I replied "I'm from New York".

"New York? Don't you mean New Cork?" she chuckled.

"Yeah, that's the place… I must have gotten it mixed up with some other city…" I lamely agreed. Either she had dyslexia, a weird lisp, or it was trick question.

Adyson looked at me for a few seconds and then appeared to come to a decision of some sort.

"Okay," she said. "You look tired, why don't you sit down and rest for a bit while I get you something to eat"

I let out a sigh of relief when Adyson did not push me any further about who I was and where I came from. Years of living in the Devastation while I tried to avoid human contact for safety except for Isabella and Ferb left me a terrible and unpracticed liar. Adyson seemed to catch this, but surprisingly this time didn't point it out. She did not appear to want to pursue the matter any further.

I think my stomach had almost given up that it would get fed today, but at the mention of food, it started to twist and growl again. I must have closed my eyes and nodded off for a while before she called out that the food was ready. I felt so restored even with this one full meal and a bit of rest. Being able to clean up afterwards with some hot water was something that I hadn't experienced in years.

I looked around at Adyson's place which was disorganized and messy. Like the floors below us, it was also covered in a mess of engine parts. Tools and parts of tools were scattered everywhere and I couldn't even recognize half of them. The room was clearly designed for work and efficiency; not for luxury. The furnishings were limited to the small sofa I was sitting on, a stove, fridge, bed, cupboard, and bathroom. Everything else was covered in machinery. I was amazed by the complexity and size of some of the devices, but one in particular caught my attention. It was a shiny metallic machine in the corner of the room peeking out from under a hastily placed rug. From what I could see, it looked utilitarian. An antennae stuck out of the box-like contraption.

Intrigued, I couldn't help myself and pointed at it and asked, "What is that?"

Adyson looked where I pointed. She paused and finally shrugged her shoulders. She declared, "That my lost friend is my greatest invention!" Brimming with pride, she pronounced, "This my realm jumping device. I never thought it would work. So far, I have only sent inconspicuous cameras through time to test it. My realm machine experiment creates rifts through space and time to eventually allow someone to travel through the fourth dimension to a different time and place. By stepping through this portal one could essentially be transported backward or forward in time." It was like she hadn't had the chance to tell anyone about it and she was bursting at the seams excited to take the opportunity to tell an out of place stranger.

All of a sudden it hit me. My eyes were wide open in astonishment. I felt a ray of hope. This must have been the very device that permitted me to come to this futuristic city in the first place. This was the machine that created that rift from earlier. From elation to a drop. I realized that Adyson had mentioned it was an experiment. How refined was this machine?

"How well does the device work or is it still experimental?" I queried while pretending not to know the answer.

"I'm still trying to solve a few kinks, but it generally works well." Adyson answered. "I haven't tested it with lifeforms because I wanted to limit the consequences of disastrous temporal paradoxes. For example today, I noticed for the first time that when it returned an object through the portal passed, it destabilized and the rift shut itself down. My theory is that the passing of too large an object completely drains the portal's energy. I haven't had the courage to pass through the portal myself just in case I can't get back."

"So what about accuracy to send or recall an object to a specific time and/or place and back to its origin?" I inquired while gesturing to the machine. Adyson was happy to answer. She didn't know that her answers were so crucial to me.

Adyson sighed, "Well, I can create the rift again, but it takes some time to build up the flux enough to operate the guidance system." She admitted, "It has been hard to get it exactly to the same place and time again, but my experimentation has been improving. Today, I haven't been able to locate the return object yet and a big game of hide and go seek time travel occurs," she laughed. Adyson explained, "That's why I was in the same building where I found you - looking for my camera."

She didn't make the connection yet and was too involved in explaining her invention to me. She seems too bright to miss that coincidence for too long.

Adyson continued, "My device is accurate to within a meter or two, but it is hard to get the time more precise than 30 or 40 minutes if moving more than a few decades. I discovered the farther in time I create a rift, the more inaccurate my time setting will be." She asked me to wait from asking more until she loaded the film signal from the camera to find out its latest adventures to check where it ended up.

 _What if the camera recorded me entering the portal?_ I thought to myself. _How will Adyson react?_

As she inputted commands, it occurred to me that in my excitement I had completely forgotten one of the reasons for coming here in the first place. I had wanted to bring back supplies for Isabella and Ferb. My forehead creased in worry. What if something had happened to them while I was away? What if the Hole was discovered if they weren't as careful as they should be without me? I needed Adyson to get me back home once I gathered enough supplies and advanced technology for the three of us to cope better with the Devastation. Maybe we won't be as afraid or hungry or cold. I realized how long I had been gone. Isabella and Ferb had enough supplies for heat and food to last only three-five days comfortably. Neither can leave the Hole safely without me and they depend on me so much. I was desperate to go back. At the same time, I selfishly started to feel conflicted because this was exactly the type of exploration and adventure and learning that I have always craved. Imagine, no responsibilities and no fight to just survive in a place of fear, death, cold, and darkness.

"That's brilliant! You should share it with others," I tried to persuade Adyson.

Adyson shook her head, "This technology is very dangerous. If you alter something in the past, it could have a devastating ripple effect that could potentially change the future. I haven't told anyone except you that I have been experimenting. You seem trustworthy and will keep my confidence won't you? I usually read people well"

"Of course," I answer sincerely.

Relieved, Adyson kept talking. "It still has its quirks though. I can only open a portal from one side with any stability."

I froze. How could I convince her to use me as her first human test subject if she thinks her device was still dangerous? Can I do this without revealing where I came from? She seemed trustworthy herself. After all, wouldn't she want to return me back to my time to minimize a temporal paradox? I would just sneak things back with me. She told me her secret so maybe she could handle mine.


	21. Chapter XX: Temporal Paradox

**Author's Note:**

About time I finished this story! I will post all of the final chapters today, I promise.

* * *

Quenching my apprehension, I told Adyson that I needed to get some fresh air to clear my head and I would be back after my walk. She looked at me concerned, but let me go ahead anyway. She gave me the location of the nearest park and let me be on my way. "You'll be here when I return won't you?" I asked her. "Yes, I have some things to work on here," she replied. She gave me one last longing glance before I turned and made my way down the tower's staircase. Once I reached the bottom, I pushed open the bronze doors and made my way down across the bridge. Thankfully with my new clean clothes, I didn't stand out this time as I walked to the park. Adyson had gotten me some clothes around my size somehow. I had forgotten how good laundered clothes smelt.

Once I reached the field, I sat on a bench and began to think about what to do. My head pounded after a short while. Using the machine on a live subject seemed out of the question for Adyson at this moment. I could reveal that I came through her time portal intact, but the shutdown of the rift had persuaded her that it was too unstable. What if she compensated for my mass? After all, she had just planned for a small inanimate object. Adyson would be too suspicious if I suddenly asked her to do me a favor like that. If I don't succeed in returning, my selfishness to explore with good intentions will have again caused tremendous harm and little good. My little adventure to retrieve something to help us would be for nothing. I groaned and put my head in my hands as I tried to think of what to do. As I thought, something Adyson said jumped to the forefront of my mind. _This technology is very dangerous. If you alter something in the past, it could have a devastating ripple effect that could potentially change the future._ That would eliminate the other possibility of bringing Isabella and Ferb here.

 _What if we could change the course of history and somehow prevent the apocalypse?_ I pondered. The possibility to do so sent a shiver of excitement down my spine. It would help more than just the three of us. A tear ran down my cheek. Maybe I could see my parents again. Going further back, maybe I will make sure Ferb was safe behind the gate this time or wait until the car passed before I helped the old lady with her groceries.

"That would be the ultimate adventure to do well and atone for my mistakes!" I said to myself. _Endless possibilities!_

I would need to reveal who I am and where I came from to Adyson if I wanted to do this. There really was no debate in my mind. The potential payoff if we could pull this off was literally history changing. I dashed back up to Adyson's place. The fear of being outed as a visitor through her portal was no longer a concern in my mind.

"Adyson, it's Phineas! Open the door!" I pleaded as I frantically knocked.

She threw open the door. She exclaimed, "What happened? What's wrong?"

"Nothing happened except a clever idea," I quickly replied, "But first I've got to talk to you about something very important."


	22. Chapter XXI: The Request

Adyson stared at me intently. Those eyes seemed to always affect me. I hesitated, trying to come up with the best way to explain myself. "How could it be so fast that I am drawn to her so quickly?" I wondered.

"Look…There's something about me that I have to explain first. Umm, I'm not really from here."

"I know that already silly," Adyson grinned.

"No I mean more than the fact that I am not from this city," I sighed, "I'm not explaining myself very well. Okay, what year is it right now?"

With a puzzled look, Adyson replied, "It's 2145 of course."

"Well I'm from New York City in the year 1972. I found your portal in the underground tunnels and decided to step through it. I must have followed your camera." I blurted out.

Her eyes widened and all she said was, "Oh..." as she quickly had to find a chair.

I waited as Adyson turned and stared out her window for a few seconds. I could tell that she was trying to process this and was probably thinking about all the ramifications of what I had done. What she had done. Suddenly, a thought occurred to myself. _What if I am in trouble now? I don't know the rules or laws here. Is Adyson going to get me in trouble for stepping through the portal?_

"So my invention does work for people! Thank goodness you came through safely. Well I'm very glad to meet you Phineas" as she shook my hand vigorously.

Relieved by her reaction, I decided to fill her in on my thoughts. That is after wrenching my hand from her continued shaking.

"So why in the world did you step into the portal? What was it like to go through it? What did you see? Don't you know the dangers of time travel?" she asked me questions in rapid succession.

"Hold on, I will explain. You see, I came from a time of great suffering, and I didn't really know what the light beckoning was. I didn't know I was stepping into a different time except that the air seemed so clean and the technology I witnessed was so incredible." I felt downcast and elaborated further. "I've seen terrible things. In my time and place we are fighting day to day just to stay alive. Not only are we scrounging for food, but it was so cold and any remnants of civilization had deteriorated to chaos. Bandits roamed unchecked. Most of the cities have been abandoned or its residents killed through years of warfare, illness, or starvation."

"Are you alone?"

"No, I live with my brother Ferb who is disabled with only one good leg and my close friend Isabella who is blind and can only see shadows. I saw your stunning city through the portal and it looked so promising and so much better than my world. I was compelled to investigate. I was hoping that maybe after checking that it was safe that I could bring them with me or at least I could bring back supplies for ourselves from here. I had no idea that the portal would close up so soon after I went through it!"

"I understand fully why you did what you did then," Adyson said. "You want to ask me to do something for you, don't you?" She seemed to have great empathy for me.

"I want to help my world and I have an idea that would help in a big way," I said hesitantly.

"What is it?" Adyson asked. "I'll be happy to help if possible."

"You said that you can program your machine to different times and places. I want to go back to where the problems started. Back to when the earthquakes, volcanoes and wars started to destroy my world." I stated.

"Oh… that's not so straightforward. As I just said, it's very dangerous to try to mess with the past. No one really knows what can happen if you do, and the long term effects may be worse than if you did not change it." Adyson reiterated.

"I know what you said," I argued as I started to lose my patience. It seemed so straightforward to me. I was desperate and fixed on my idea and pleaded, "but it is too great to pass up this chance to change history for the better. I'm talking about the chance to save the lives of millions, if not billions, of people in the world. You have to realized that in my time life for us is extremely difficult and hard." I thought I better appeal to her. I tried to point out, "maybe this future city wouldn't need to be in a dome and have to worry so much about whether power needs to be diverted between different requirements because there was a shortage of it."

Time seemed to stop as Adyson walked back and forth to the railing and stared out at the city. I waited for her to collect her thoughts and come to a decision. It seemed like an eternity. Without turning back to me she said softly, "I don't know Phineas. There is still some debate as to whether what you want to do is possible and if it will make a difference"

"That's fine," I interrupted her. "I'm willing to try. Are you willing to help me? Please Adyson, it's so important! Think of the impact you would have and I think that is something you have always wanted." I identified with her in that both of us were searching to be fulfilled.

Finally looking back at me, she turned to hold my hand gently between hers and answered, "OK Phineas. I'll help you as much as I can as long as you can help me with something." It was so fast. How could I feel so much for her so quickly? I never allowed myself to feel this in my world.

"Thanks Adyson," I said. "This really means alot to me." I didn't know what she wanted from me, but I was willing to do anything. I tried to shut off my feelings for her. I have responsibilities.


	23. Chapter XXII: The Plan

"Where exactly did you come from and what was the date?" she asked.

"I'm not sure when exactly. My brother kept track of the days, but I stopped paying attention to him." I replied. After Adyson implored me to think back, I recalled a number and told her "Ferb said it had been 1241 days since the Earth crust explosion and that was back in 1972." Who knew his obsessions would help us in the future. I carried on trying to pin down the origin of the Devastation. "I know that the troubles started when the earth started experiencing unusual natural disasters like earthquakes, volcanoes and then wars. There were rumours that these changes to the world were caused by mankind, but I don't have details about what really happened. My brother only heard a bit of information before the radio transmissions went down. I'm hoping we could find out more before I try to go back."

"That is a wise suggestion," Adyson said winking at me. "We will make a good team." I smiled at her. Adyson was fascinating and so bright and witty. She liked new exciting things like me. Being beautiful didn't hurt either. Being around her seemed to help me feel lighter and forget for a while my burdens.

She carried on without noticing my intrigue of her. Adyson declared, "Our historians and academics have studied what you call the period of the Devastation quite a bit and have written about the details you are missing. Apparently the natural disasters were first caused by tests scientists were carrying out with new nuclear weapons on some South Pacific islands. There was a trail of sequential emissions that left traces in the new rocky volcanoes that formed. The weapons were so powerful they ripped the earth's crust and caused a major shift in the tectonic plates. It was all downhill from that point on which history refers to as the stages."

It sounded so right. Stages is what we referred to the different periods that followed the explosion, tremors, dust, cold, darkness, famine, etc. "So, if I can somehow prevent the nuclear tests from happening then maybe I can change the subsequent chain of events which followed and change history for the better!" I excitedly theorized.

"That's right," Adyson confirmed. "Come on, let's go look up exactly when and where this happened so I can program the realm jumper accurately."

I nodded, "Alright. Where do we begin our search?"

Adyson made her way to a small machine and quickly typed in _nuclear testing during 1972_

After finding the best article, Adyson and I crowded around the computer. There was a map of the nuclear testing sites in the Pacific on the screen. Adyson pointed to a specific island near the center of the map that was the epicenter.

"That must be the one. Nauru. It was the focal point of the volcanic activity during the apocalypse," Adyson said. "I can try to program the realm jumper to this island on the day the books say the test occurred, but we should test it first with my camera device. It will take a few days to charge up the machine after the test. We need make sure the energy will be at the level your mass will need so the portal doesn't collapse this time."

I nodded, "I don't have time to wait for the test. I am willing to take that risk. My brother and bestfriend don't have enough supplies to last the time we might need. Let's concentrate on programming the realm jumper to open a portal in a specific location. Can you do it?"

Adyson nodded seeing my desperation and told me, "I can get you at least into the tunnels beneath the island. That way you can avoid the guards with ease and get back out."

"Tunnels, my favourite place," I mumbled to myself.

"What was that?" Adyson asked as her concentration was elsewhere.

"Nothing important," I replied. The memory of the smell in my nasal passages and the foul taste in the back of my throat didn't agree.

I inquired, "How long will I have to get back here?"

"I will open the portal once more after 40 minutes have passed," Adyson explained, "It will be on western beach here on the map. It's a rocky beach in a crescent of palm trees and this should provide adequate camouflage for the portal and you."

"Shouldn't you open the portal where I came in?"

Adyson shook her head, "You should avoid escaping back into the tunnels as they were the ones first flooded with the toxic gases from below the Earth's crust. If you get delayed, you may be caught up in the poisonous tunnels."

I nodded understandingly. "Okay then. Thanks for that tip!" I remembered and asked, "By the way, what did you want me to do for you?"

Adyson's eyes instantly turned red and teared up. So strange to see this from such a strong person. "It has always haunted me that history indicates some of my ancestors were on the island at the time and involved in this catastrophe. What has actually driven me to build this time travel device was to see if it was really true. Honestly, I had intended to send one of my cameras discreetly there so most of the research had already been done by me. I was taunted during my childhood about it so I was determined to regain my family's reputation by doing something good for the world. I need you to find out who were the main culprits for this stupid act and if the rumours were true. If you can stop the origin of the Devastation, you would help me also come to terms with my past."

I never asked, but she started to explain how one of her other inventions helped to speed up clearing the Earth of the ash debris and creating cleaner air. I asked her about the smoke coming out of the airships. She smiled and said that her parents were able to perfect the fuel cell membrane that had evaded scientists for years. Her pride shone. She felt she had to play her part in reversing her ancestors' mistake. Adyson said creating the domes for new habitats were in the most recent 50 years. Since then development of new technology has been at a rapid pace. Scientists like her parents were able to pick the brightest children to have them undergo specialized training in innovation and creativeness. She said, "we were directed to our particular talents." "The number of domes in the world have multiplied and the Earth has regained half of its vegetation. Many lessons of the past have been incorporated in present day development. Politically, there is one world government that is democratic and has the environment and education as the top priority."

I wanted to ask her how long the darkness and cold lasted and if it would clear any time in my lifetime, but Adyson had walked up to the device and began punching in coordinates. She said she needed to increase power setting by inserting a special material she made to initiate the flux drive. Apparently, alternating magnetic fields created the power needed.

The device powered up and filled me with a sense of wonder. Finally, there was a blinding light and a portal suddenly opened up before me. I quickly shouldered my satchel and was about to walk through, but Adyson stopped me by placing a hand on my shoulder.

I turned to her and she said, "If my ancestors are truly involved, please try to convince them…"

I quickly nodded and I knew what she wanted me to do. I myself had a past that haunted me and would do anything to alleviate the feeling. I had the choice of stopping the accident that changed my brother's life or stop the apocalypse that made me lose my parents and left the world near death. I jumped through the shimmering portal out into the uncertainty of the past.


	24. Chapter XXIII: The Origin

**Author's Note:**

Here we are at the climax of the story. This is the chapter that brings everything to light

* * *

I made my way through the darkened tunnels beneath the surface of the Nauru. The tunnel reminded me a lot of the one that Isabella and I had walked through during our escape from the marauders except this time there was light and no horrible smells. It reminded me painfully what would happen if I failed in my mission. If I was captured, they would be alone and I would die. More importantly, if I couldn't stop the imminent destruction, millions of people around the globe would suffer. With that heavy burden in mind, I walked at a swift pace through the caves and tunnels lying beneath the complex. The caves were silent, however I could hear the footsteps of armed guards marching above me, their footsteps making barely a whisper.

As I went deeper into the tunnels, I felt a strange rumbling and was thrown off balance for a second. For a moment I was confused. Was I too late? Had the nuclear testing commenced already? I felt like I was riding a wave as the floor felt like it was undulating while the ceiling shook. The rumbling soon died down and I continued on down the tunnel anxiously. Adyson said the closest she could get me is 400 meters. After several more minutes at a slight jog, I reached a distinctive recognizable opening in the tunnel system. I made my way directly below where I assumed the control room would be. As I walked along the corridor, my head suddenly hit an iron handle in the roof of the tunnel. Wincing, I paused to make sure that no one had heard me before pushing the handle counterclockwise to open the hatch. I quickly peeped through the small crack to check that I was in the correct place. Sure enough, I could see the edges of a lab coat and beyond that, the blinking lights of a control panel. Tentatively, I pushed the thick metal door open and slid through.

I startled a man. He spoke up first behind his large dark glasses and said, "Young man this is a restricted area! How did you get on this island with all of its security let alone to this room?"

I spit out what I needed to say. I yelled urgently, "You need to stop immediately what you are doing! You are about to destroy the world and send it into an apocalypse.!"

"What are you talking about? We are just conducting an important scientific experiment."

Just then a woman scientist came around the corner, her familiarity struck me. The reason for me to be there vanished into thin air.

"Oh my God" I exclaimed. I rushed to embrace her as hot tears ran down my face. "Mom!" She recoiled.

I felt a rush of deep hurt as she pushed roughly me away. So many years wondering if she was alive and needing her so much. I didn't know she had that much strength.

"Don't you recognize me?" I was almost hyperventilating and said "I'm Phineas Mom, your son!"

My mother angrily replied, "Don't play games with us young man. Our son is still a child and no where near growing a beard. Lawrence call for the guards immediately!"

Lawrence, that's my father's name. _Could it be? What are they doing here? They were supposed to be on vacation. Is that why they took a bit longer to say goodbye and told us to look after each other?_

I blubbered, "Ferb and I have needed you so much. We thought both of you were dead! What are you doing here? Didn't you go on vacation? It has been eight and a half years of living hell."

I didn't count on my parents' suspiciousness of my older appearance as a trick of the Soviet Union. For them, the Cold War was a reality that persisted. They thought all the details I implored them to hear were from spy documents. They believed I was there to steal information from them about the experiment that they were about to conduct.

"But it is me," I protested. I was desperate and proclaimed, "It's been years and I travelled here from the future to stop what you are about to do." It sounded unbelievable even to me.

"Do you take us for fools?" my father retorted, "Time travel doesn't exist." My dad frowned, "Why in the world should we listen to you? For all we know, you could be a Russian spy."

"No one foresaw this, but detonating the bomb would unleash the power of the super volcano beneath us. This will unleash a series of events that leads to the apocalypse." I continued desperately, "You have to believe me!"

The two adults stared at me unwaveringly and I tried my best not to squirm under their gaze. I had to constantly remind myself that these were my parents and not complete strangers. I composed myself as best I could and tried to look as believable as possible.

My father reached for the phone and spoke into the handset.

"This is Dr. Flynn. Get me security. We have an unauthorized intruder in the central control room."

"No…wait please!" I cried desperately as I saw him barricade the door from me leaving. I only had a few minutes to persuade them. _Maybe our past would persuade them. "_ I know you don't believe who I am, but only I would know that it was my fault why Ferb lost his leg. Mom you said to the doctor that Phineas is usually responsible and that has haunted me throughout my life. I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry."

My mom suddenly started to tear. She said "How do you know that? If you are a spy, that would be so cruel." She walked closer to me. She touched under my chin pressing hard through my beard where only she knew a scar existed from one of my falls. "Lawrence, I don't know how, but this is Phineas."

My father left the door and looked at my mother and then at me. He gave a me a big bear hug and chuckled, "I should have recognized your debating style. How did you get here and why are you older now?"

I started to explain, "What you are doing will crack the Earth's surface and start an apocalypse. It seems like you both don't know what would happen, but it is important you stop it now! Ferb, Isabella, and I have survived eight and a half years of a dying world. It's been so hard, but the hardest thing was thinking you both were dead. I searched for you at the old house every chance I had." My voice faded as I said, "You never came..."

"Don't cry my son. I can't get used to seeing you all grown up. I'm so sorry. Please know that we didn't know this would happen. You are so skinny and handsome now that I didn't recognize you", said mom with a wink.

I continued to explain, "Somehow the future Earth started to recover and an engineer then developed a time travel portal that was able to land me here to try to stop you."

They then talked briefly about the part they had invented and the experiment they were about to conduct. It was obvious that they somehow didn't know this was part of a superweapon testing. Apparently, each set of scientists were kept separated from each other and what they were asked to developed was top secret. The sum of their work was combined today to test.

"Let's stop the process then Linda! He's a young man with a mission and let's help him," my dad said with an urgent wink. "Here take this Phineas. We need to shut down the accelerator. Turn these dials to zero," my dad directed me.

I felt like a team. I loved hearing his gruff voice again.

"Linda, why are you just standing there?" he shouted.

"I will be right there," said mom. "Phineas, wait. Honey look into my eyes. You heard us talk to the doctor. We don't blame you. We love you. You were just a kid."

I turned towards her with my head down. "I thought I locked the gate Mom," I sobbed, "you both never forgave me and looked away each time I tried to say sorry."

My father immediately stopped what he was doing and said to me, "Son, is that what you thought that this whole time? You are so wrong. We were just trying to be strong for you and Ferb. If we started to cry, it might have never stopped so I am sorry we appeared unfeeling towards you."

My mom continued, "We almost lost Ferb that day. Because of how close you were, we knew that if something happened to Ferb then we would lose you too.

My father interjected, "We tried to talk to you, but you were so distant from us since that day and just absorbed in your studies."

With tears rolling down her cheeks, my mom explained, "We thought if you saw us crying, you would think we blamed you. It's all a misunderstanding. You don't need forgiveness. Please forgive us for letting you think that all these years. You and your brother are very special to us."

"Quick Linda, we don't have much time to stop it," shouted my dad. We continued to try to shut the countdown off. He handed me a wrench and urged, "Phineas, just remove the control panel with this."

I vigorously jammed at the panel.

Suddenly the door thumped open and two guards rushed in. "What are the three of you doing? Why are you trying damaging the equipment?"

My father was in the middle of proclaiming, "Wait, let me explain…" when he was suddenly put in an armlock.

My mother tried to release my father, but was overcome by the second guard.

"Run Phineas run. We will stop it. Go to where you came from…" my dad yelled before he was knocked unconscious with the butt of the guard's gun.

"You stupid man," yelled my mother. "Only my husband has the part of the code we need to stop this." She tried to revive my father.

"You're under arrest for sabotage! Quick get the third one!" ordered the guard standing over my parents.

She wrapped her arms around the guard's leg as he tried to catch me. She yelled, "Go Phineas. Go and take care of yourself. Please tell your brother that we love him. I'm so sorry we can't stop it now. You only have minutes. Forgive us!"

Realizing that I was out of time, I tearfully turned my back to my parents and ran. I dashed through the facility with the guard in close pursuit. Alarms began to ring. At first I thought it was the siren for the security, but then I realized that it was warning for the new super nuclear bomb to be set off. My parents had failed and there was no stopping the apocalypse now.

I quickly ran behind a pillar and tried to catch my breath. If I ran underground, than it would be easy for me to get caught and trapped like a rat. However, if I traveled above ground, I could easily be seen or worse caught in the blast. Quickly coming to a decision, I spotted an opening. I jumped down the hole down into the tunnels praying that they couldn't hear me. I heard the guards shouting above me.

If I couldn't get away, I would die too. With that in mind, I was able to run faster than I ever. I sought out the quickest exit possible, silently praying that Adyson got the portal open in time where she promised. There was a voice announcement starting the official countdown. Ten minutes before the detonation. Looking at my watch, I saw that I had only about 4 minutes left to reach the portal. Adyson told me it would open by the western cliffside of the island and would only be stable for a few minutes this time. The setting sun helped me in my directions. I reached the portal just in time.


	25. Chapter XXIV: Debriefing

I rubbed my eyes and blinked furiously to clear the stars out of my eyes. I could barely feel my limbs after the rough ride through the portal. Adyson explained the portal strained to bring me back from such a long time ago. It felt more disorienting and dizzying than the last time I came through. Her strong arms pulled me to my feet and I began to hack uncontrollably.

"Did it work? What happened?" she breathlessly asked.

"I got to the island as planned. It took me much longer than I thought to reach the main control room. I encountered the two main scientists there. They already started the countdown."

"Did you get a chance to tell them what would happen?"

"I had some problems convincing them at first, but in the end they accepted what I told them. They thought they were only conducting a study."

I felt a lone tear fall from my eye and turned my face before Adyson could see me. I couldn't face that my parents were involved let alone share it with Adyson. I wished I had Isabella to talk to.

"They thought it was an experiment only?" Adyson said unbelievably.

I continued, "They were kept in the dark about what they were doing by the American government. They had developed an initiation device, but didn't know what it was going to set off. They were good people and when they realized what was happening, they sacrificed themselves to save me and let me escape."

Adyson said, "Phineas, I have something to confess to you."

"What is it?"

Adyson took a deep breath before continuing, "There is a widely held belief that if you travel back in time, you cannot make changes that affect the future. The reason is that even if you make changes, those changes have already been accounted for and contribute to events in the future."

I was shocked, "So no matter what I do, the apocalypse would still happen?"

Adyson nodded solemnly, "I'm very sorry Phineas. I had hoped this theory was wrong. When nothing changed here, I already knew your mission failed. There's just no way to change the future. What has happened will always be constant."

I put my head in my hands and wept. It was for nothing. I couldn't save my parents or the world. I had failed again. The best I could do now is return back to help Isabella and Ferb. The thought of them having to fend for themselves terrified me.

I asked Adyson for a moment to myself and said "That experience took its toll on me so could I get a bit of rest first before telling you the rest?"

Adyson nodded graciously, "Sure, take your time. I have to go out for a while anyway."

I was tired, but glad for some privacy to collect my thoughts. It felt like I was grieving all over again. I know for certain now that my parents died. Once they believed me, I could see that they loved me. They still wouldn't forgive me, but that was because they never blamed me. I wasted so many years thinking that. Apparently, they had tried to talk to me, but I had shut everyone out while absorbed in my guilt. They coped like me by distancing themselves from their emotions. They tried to remain strong by not crying. In the end, they died to save me. It made me miss them more and a river of tears ran out of me.


	26. Chapter XXV: Revelation

Exhausted, I lay down, but my mind wouldn't stop. I ran through all the possibilities in my mind about what to do now. I kept replaying the questions over and over again in my head until sleep overtook me.

An hour later, after a much needed rest, I got up and stretched my sore legs from all of the running I had to do. After a brief trip to the fridge for a glass of water, it was clear what my decision would be. I also had something important to talk to Adyson about.

I asked Adyson to sit down. I started, "Adyson, you told me that you suspected that some of your ancestors were on the island and were involved in the nuclear experimentation as well."

Adyson nodded carefully, obviously wondering where I was going with this.

"Do you know what their names were?"

She ruffled through some papers and announced, "Martin and Linda Havelock."

"You have never asked my last name, have you?"

"What's the mystery? What is it then?"

"Havelock."

Adyson slumped back in her chair.

Having processed it all night, I carried on calmly. "It was my own parents who I encountered yesterday in the main control room. It took me bringing up my painful past with them to persuade them that it was actually me. I couldn't convince them to stop the experiment any other way because otherwise they thought I was a spy."

"So you're my ancestor too?" Adyson's face turned pale.

"I have come to accept that we couldn't change the past because this future needed to happen. If I stopped the Devastation, you wouldn't be here."

"I actually considered that same thing, but I was willing to sacrifice my life as you said to save millions of people in the past. That would be greater than any contribution I could make right now."

I smiled and said, "I did even more thinking last night. Perhaps, humans in my time weren't heading in the right direction anyway. Countries were suspicious of each other and a Cold War was raging. We were not treating our planet with enough reverence. Even good people like my parents were being led to believe we had to arm ourselves with the ability to destroy each other in order to preserve the world."

"I'm so sorry your parents died"

"Yes, I wish I could have had more time with them, but in the time I had, they gave me a gift."

"What do you mean?"

"They took the time to address something I had done in my past and released me from my tremendous guilt."

Adyson placed her arm on my shoulders, "It sounds like they loved you a lot."

I replied, "They helped you too Adyson. You see, my parents and your ancestors did not intentionally create the nuclear blast and the Devastation. They were loving parents and wonderful people who got caught up in an experiment they didn't realize would have devastating effects. It was simply out of their control."

"Thank you Phineas for finding that out. If it's not too painful, I would love to find out more about your family. I mean our family."

I realized at that moment, why I was so fascinated by Adyson's strength, intelligence, wit, and kindness. Perhaps that is why two strangers ended up trusting each other so quickly. There was also a familiarity in her smile. She had a lot of Isabella's qualities.

 _How could I not see this before? Who's the blind one now?_ I have been blind to Isabella's caring for me. Is it possible that she was so devoted to me all these years because she felt more for me than just friendship? The gift my parents gave me has allowed me to open my heart again. I know now what I have been searching for all this time - to belong again. I no longer need adventure in my life, but yearn for stability and to be love and to love again. It was all in front of me the whole time - Isabella.

Adyson inquired, "What are you thinking so hard about?"

"I need you to use your invention one more time - for us this time. I need to… No, I want to get back to Isabella and my brother Ferb. If Isabella would have me, I think she is your ancestor too because you have so many traits similar to her. I am meant to marry her and raise children. I know now that we will survive and make a difference in the world because somewhere down the line, you will have come from us."

"You're right; our family has a renowned history since the time of start of the recovery from the Devastation. A lot of us have made very positive contributions to improve the world."

I smiled slightly as I thought of Ferb and how bright he was. I actually missed him too.

Adyson cocked her head and said, "It's nice to see you smile again. What is it?"

"I know we shouldn't change the past, but I do have something special that you could make for me to bring back."

Adyson winked and said, "Sure for you anything my great great….great grandfather!"

We both had a deep laugh.

After we settled down, she enthusiastically added, "Let me also show some new advances that might help you when you get back."

We had lots of work to do before I returned to my proper time – home.


	27. Chapter XXVI: Gifts

I held up Ferb's new "leg" in admiration. It was amazing, Adyson was able to so quickly create it from scratch. I was eager to return back to Ferb to present him with the leg. As Isabella said maybe this might be the start of repairing my relationship with him.

"I hope he likes it," Adyson called as he entered the room.

"I'm sure he will," I reassured her.

"When you put it on him, think of me. Prepare him for it. It has a special feature as a surprise from me," she said mysteriously.

"Thanks again," I said awkwardly. I wished I had something to offer Adyson as a way of saying thanks. With the exception of the satchel, I basically arrived here with just the tattered clothes on my back. I was sure those were incinerated by now. Today was the day I was leaving and part of me was ambivalent.

Perhaps sensing my ambivalent feelings, Adyson said, "I can't pretend to know how tough it is living in your time, but I know you and you will figure it out. As much as I would like you to stay, I know our family is destined for great things."

"Let's do it then," I resolutely decided.

She set up her realm jumper and programmed in the proper settings to get me back to home. After turning a few knobs and pushing a few buttons she opened up a portal out in the courtyard.

I wrapped the prosthetic leg in a blanket that Adyson gave me and followed her to the door. At the last second, I halted her and said, "Wait, I forgot something. I'll be right there" I ran back to her workbench and laid my satchel on it. I quickly scribbled a note that said:

"Dear Adyson, You're one of the brightest women I have ever met. Keep on finding out more about who you are. I am so proud to be your ancestor and of all the things you have done and will do. I don't have much, but please have my satchel to remember me by. It has means a lot to me because it was given to me by my parents. That is how much I have learned to care about you. Love Phineas."

I caught up with her and confidently stepped in front of the portal. On the other side all I could see was a faint light in a sea of darkness. _Too familiar._

"I can't see anything," I stated. "Are you sure you have the right time and place?"

"Yes," Adyson replied. "I set up the portal to open up in the tunnels again with the old coordinates so that you could return undetected."

I smiled, "Thanks Adyson, you think of everything as usual. I'll never forget you."

Adyson smiled back and said, "Phineas, you will be my inspiration."

I gave one last longing look after I arrived. She gave me a tiny wave before the portal closed shut.


	28. Chapter XXVII: Resolution

**Author's Note:**

Hi guys, so this is the final chapter of this story. One day I will write a sequel, but it probably won't happen for several years. I'd like to thank everyone who reviewed this story. It took eight months to write and I'm glad with all of the positive reviews I have received.

Linebreak

As soon as I got back into my time, I immediately had to adjust to the sudden change in lighting back in New York. I smiled and thought, _I never got to ask why Adyson called it New Cork._ I quickly rushed through the sewers back the way I had come. I pushed the trapdoor open and emerged in the street. The city was still as I remembered, grey and lifeless, but I had long since accepted it as my home.

I pulled myself out and brushed off the endless dust. _Why do I even bother?_ I stood up and made my through the silent streets once more. I remembered the paths through the city well and I made my way to the home as fast as my feet could carry me. _I couldn't wait to tell them of what I had experienced._ Soon I was standing outside the entranceway to the Hole. Before I could open the door, Isabella stepped out and bumped into me.

"My God Phineas, where have you been? We've been looking for you and worried sick!" exclaimed Isabella. She didn't give me an answer and started to hug me and kiss my cheek.

I held her hand. "This may seem like a strange question, but how long have I been away?" I asked.

"It's been a week. You just left one morning and didn't come back. Where have you been?"

"You won't believe this," I started haltingly, "but I've been away in another time and place. Isabella, remember when we stumbled on that portal in the tunnels? Well, I decided to investigate it and stepped through it into another city and into a future over 150 years from now. The portal was a time rift in space created by someone in the year 2145."

Isabella made a barely audible "Oh."

"There is so much to tell, but that can wait. I worried so much how the two of you would cope. I've got something for Ferb and can't wait to show him."

"He can't see you right now," Isabella said softly.

"I see. He is very mad at me for leaving both of you to fend for yourselves. I can explain..."

"No, it's not that at all."

"What is it then?" I asked worriedly.

Isabella explained, "His infection in his leg got worse while you were away and for a while he had a high fever and became delirious. During his dreams, he had a strong memory. It haunted him for a while before he finally told me a couple of days ago. He has been crying and won't eat. He isn't mad at you, he is ashamed to see you."

"I don't understand at all. I am the one who was ashamed all these years for what I did to him. Anyway, I thought of him while I was away and I have something for him that might bring us closer together. I fulfilled my promise to him to get him a new leg." I beamed.

Still sad, Isabella continued. "He has been having flashbacks back to that day. He is ashamed because he is sure now that he was the one who opened the gate. He wanted to join you to pick up the groceries too, but accidently dropped the ball and followed it into the street. You did close the clasp on the gate after all Phineas!"

I was speechless. _All these years._

Isabella carried on, "He doesn't know what to say to you Phineas. He did say if you ever returned that things would be different between the two of you. He asked me to tell you first and tell you that he is sorry that he has treated you so badly all these years. He had thought that you let him down that day."

"Let me see him. What I brought will help", I declared and pushed gently by her.

Ferb just stared at me in silence. I unwrapped my gift from the future for him and held it out for him to take. I told him, "Please look at me. Isabella told me what you have been going through. I love you and would like everything to be between us as before. Here Ferb, open this. It's my promise!"

"It's a replacement leg of some sort," Ferb commented as he turned it around and around to look. "It looks like nothing I've ever seen. Can I try it out?" He had forgotten about his shame.

"Please, I'm anxious to see how it fits," I replied. "I was told that there was a surprise attached to it. It's an invention from a special person I will tell you about later. Please try it on." I was so excited.

Sitting him on a chair, I helped Ferb attach the prosthetic leg. He stood up slowly and gingerly put a bit of weight on it. Ferb smiled as he rocked back and forth on it. He carefully put his new leg forward and took his first step with it.

"Wow," he exclaimed. "It fits snug, but comfortable still. I don't know what it's made with, but it's surprisingly light too."

He confidently walked around the room and even took a couple of light hops with it. Growing bolder, he picked up his pace until he was practically running in circles.

"This is great," he exclaimed with the widest grin I had ever seen him wear in my life. "It has some neat mechanics in it that somehow adds a spring to my step. Instead of feeling like I'm pulling a dead metal brace around, this thing almost feels like an extension of my real leg. Thanks Phineas! You're the best."

 _That was the surprise - a prosthetic leg that functioned like a real leg._ I explained, "You'll never get the chance to meet her, but the leg was made for you by an amazing woman. She was the person who also invented the time machine device that enabled me to jump back and forth to her world."

Hearing my last words I noticed Isabella's suddenly downcast face. I stepped over and held her in my arms and whispered, "But, no one is as special as you Isabella. I realized this while I was away. I want you to know that I'll always be here for you and I love you."

Isabella smiled and held me closer. She said, "I have always loved you and had hoped you might return the feeling one day." We had a long kiss. At that moment, I knew Isabella was not just my childhood friend, but the person I wanted to spend the rest of my life with.

"Hey lovebirds, look at me," Ferb laughed ruining the moment. He was jumping from ledge to ledge outside the shelter.

I sneered at him and said, "Don't worry Ferb, if I can find you a leg, I can find you a girl too!"

Feeling suddenly self-conscious, Isabella changed the topic and asked, "So when are you going to tell us what happened while you were in the future?"

"First of all," I explained, "I want to say that the future looks bright for the world. I know that our world today is not in very good shape and life for us has been hard, but there is light at the end of the tunnel. Maybe not in our lifetime, but for our children and their children and beyond. What I have seen in the future has given me new hope and vigour because I already know there is a happy ending. Let's go sit down and I'll tell you about my adventures and my encounter with our parents."


	29. Sequel!

**Author's Note:**

Hi guys. After an extremely long break, I've finally decided to return to what I consider to be the first fandom I was really involved in. I thought that there was no better way to do that then to write the long awaited sequel to this story!

Like I said before, I originally wrote this story as a school project with no intention of making it a fanfiction. Eventually though, I realized just how similar the characters I designed were to the characters on Phineas and Ferb. I needed to gather feedback for my project, so I switched up the names and posted the story here. This is why the characters in this story appear quite OOC. For those who are curious, these are the original names of the characters before I replaced them.

Lewis-Phineas

Ferdinand-Ferb (yes, I see the resemblance)

Petra-Isabella

Jane-Adyson

Jake-Buford

Zane-Baljeet

Bryan-Irving

Linda-same

Martin-Phineas' dad

The original, unedited story can be found on Wattpad under the same name by JordanTse7

I didn't change much during the development of this story. Originally, it was a virus that wiped out mankind and Phineas would be the one to bring a cure from the future to the past. I also planned for the story to be set in the modern day, but I had to push it back so that it took place during the time of the Cold War Crisis. Of course, the story still would have ended the same way with Phineas returning to the apocalyptic future.

Adyson was originally supposed to be Phineas' daughter, but I had to push them farther apart to fit the timeline. Besides, logically, the world would not have recovered from an apocalypse that fast. The story would have ended with an epilogue where Phineas got together with Isabella and gave birth to Adyson.

I'd like to apologize to my friends who supported me in writing these stories. I kind of abandoned them, and I have no intention of returning to them. I switched fandoms, but now I'm back!

About the sequel, there won't be the schizophrenic character writing that plagued my previous stories. I plan on making the story true to the show as possible. That doesn't mean there won't be changes though. I intend this story to serve as the start of a journey for all of the main characters.

Without further ado, here is a sneak peak of what's to come!

* * *

 _May 1, 1957_

Adyson sat in the whitewashed room nervously as she shuffled her feet on the squeaky, white tiled floor. The bright lights above her were awfully oppressive and she could feel a sweat gather upon her brow. Adyson constantly squirmed in her seat in an effort to find comfort. She twirled her brunette hair restlessly and twiddled her thumbs.

Beside her sat her father, a statue of calm and sophistication. He sat stoically and straight, however Adyson could sense the same nervousness she felt as they waited outside of the room. Inside, they could hear a woman crying out in agony. After several minutes of torturous waiting, a nurse peaked out of the door with a smile.

"Come in! She's ready."

Adyson practically leaped off of the bench and raced into the room, followed closely by her father. She was greeted by the sight of her mother laying on the bed in pain, but she had a huge smile on her face. In her hands was a beautiful newborn, wrapped in a small towel. Despite the amount of pain she was in, Adyson had never seen her smile so widely.

Hurrying to her side, Adyson regarded the baby closely. After the nurses washed and dried the baby, they returned it to her mother.

"Congratulations!" one of them said, "It's a boy!"

The mom took the baby back and cradled it tightly to her chest, steadily rocking it. The man's eyes welled up in tears, "I'm so proud of you Linda."

The woman smiled softly, "Thanks Martin."

After a few moments, she looked at Adyson.

"Do you want to hold him Ady?"

Adyson smiled gratefully, "Yes mom."

She handed the baby to Adyson, and she carefully held it to my chest. It's eyes were closed and she could feel the chest inflate and deflate with every breath.

"What should we name him?" Adyson asked.

Her mother looked at her proudly, "You decide."

Adyson looked down at the beautiful baby in her arms. Never before had she felt so much love for one being.

"Phineas. His name is Phineas."

* * *

True to my style, I'm starting this story with a ton of confusion and a big twist.


	30. Cancelled (for the last time)

**Author's Note:**

Alright, if you couldn't tell already by the lack of updates, I've abandoned all work on the sequel in favor of my other stories. However, I did have an entire outline written out for the sequel to this story, and it's a doozy. So, for those who are curious about what would have happened, here is how it would have gone.

* * *

This sequel would be divided into 2 parts. Each chapter would contain both halves. The first half would be flashbacks of Adyson's early life and how she got to the future. The second half would take several years before Until the End of Time in a world where the apocalypse never happened. This of course would be a dimension that Phineas actually saved. I know the physics of the real world prevent that, as explained in the first story, but when has Phineas and Ferb ever followed physics?

It gets a bit complicated from here. Adyson IS the sister of Phineas in "Until the End of Time," Phineas just doesn't remember her. She would have been a childhood friend of Isabella, one Isabella never mentioned to Phineas. She was cast out of the past into the future through the same rift that Phineas took. After spending about 3 years in the future, Adyson returns to the past and steals a car to get home. However, she would have been in such a rush to see her family again, that she wouldn't seen someone crossing the road and would have hit him by accident. This, of course, would be Ferb, making Adyson of the future the person who hit him.

The big theme of this series is guilt and this ties in well. Adyson, feeling guilty over hitting her supposed step-brother, erases all records of her past and sets up her fake identity in the future, making her the descendent of Phineas. Linda and Martin would have remembered Adyson of course, but never would have gotten the chance to tell Phineas about his lost sister. Eventually, she would be reunited with another one of Phineas' descendants in the future when she returned.

The second half would take place in a world where Phineas of the future did avert the apocalypse by telling his parents what happened. However, when Phineas altered the past, the future Adyson is from wouldn't be able to exist. Unfortunately, Phineas wouldn't have been able to obtain the technology and knowledge to go back in the first place if Adyson and the dark future didn't exist. Thus, both existences would have been very fragile and they would have been in the process of merging once more and becoming the apocalyptic future that Phineas prevented.

So the second half of the story would feature the gang of the "light" universe experiencing occurrences and visions of the "dark" universe, eventually leading them to attempt to stop the merge. They would eventually meet Adyson of the dark universe. Adyson of the light universe would have ceased to exist since the timeline that she travelled to was deleted out of existence by Phineas' altercation to the past. Eventually, the solution would be removing Adyson entirely from existence, since she was the one who caused the time rift Phineas exploited in the first place. After a lot of moral debate, the gang agrees to it and Adyson is sent away, out of their dimension to limbo, the universe where nothing exists. The dark universe at this point would merge with the light one.

With the merged universe, the gang would lose all their memory of what happened. Without Adyson, Phineas' parents wouldn't have felt guilt over her absence and wouldn't have thrown themselves into their work while spending more time with Phineas. This would have averted the apocalypse and made the future a better place, but without Adyson. The storyline would end with Phineas and Isabella marrying.

The overall story would end with a flashback of Adyson greeting Phineas as he arrives in the future after she has gotten over her guilt. She vows never to tell him the truth, but is secretly thankful for being reunited with her brother one last time.

Here is the complete timeline if you're confused, with Adyson and Phineas' ages as a reference relative to 1957. The reason why Phineas is almost the same age as Adyson in 2145 is because he traveled to a time 7 years after Adyson arrived in the future, despite it being 17 years since Adyson entered the rift.

1957: The year Phineas is born (Adyson age 8) (Phineas age 0)

1963: Year Adyson lives with Phineas and finds the portal (Adyson age 14) (Phineas age 6)

1966: Year Adyson returns to her time. Year of the accident (Adyson age 17) (Phineas age 9)

1971: Year that the light universe takes place (Phineas age 14) (Adyson age 22)

1972: Year of apocalypse (Phineas age 15) (Adyson age 23: 2144)

1980: When _Until the End of Time_ takes place (Phineas age 23) (Adyson age 31: 2152)

2138: Year Adyson arrives in the future. Same year Adyson returns to her time. (Adyson age 14) (Phineas age 6)

2145: Day Phineas arrives in the future (Adyson age 24) (Phineas age 23)

* * *

Thank you for all you're wonderful support! Phineas and Ferb was my childhood, but I think it's time I move on from a kid's show. I won't forget it though. It'll always have a special place in my heart. Goodbye and carpe diem!


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